Colonel
by Iresol
Summary: Black Hawk Down Long after the movie, Sanderson ponders a promotion and the consequences it will have on his personal life, the results and more: with added characters from the movie and previous fics.
1. Chapter 1

_Authors Note: Ok, so I am jumping around and am also probably the world's biggest Sanderson fan. It's a weakness, what can I say. Plus I am easily distracted. (You should see me at school.) So this is like in the far off future, way beyond the movie. All the guys were great in the movie but Sanderson was the only guy I could actually see becoming a colonel. Anywho, this is probably a one shot, but I may be further inspired. So enjoy!_

**Base Commanders Office.**

Col. Sanderson, Jefferson Sanderson, walked around his desk eyes intent on the paperwork in his hand, oblivious to the pounding rain outside the building. Oblivious to the fact it was almost three in the afternoon and he hadn't eaten.

Oblivious to the fact that his stomach was trying to remind him of that.

Close to fifty in age he walked with a slight limp. A limp that had helped him make the leap from enlisted to officer. He walked with a confidence one got only from age and experience.

Well aware of his surroundings, he heard the feet walk down the perfectly polished hallway. When the feet came to his door he simply spoke, "Come in."

He pulled a pen from his desk and signed the paperwork.

Three days left on the job.

Five days left in the Army.

He was inundated with paperwork a requests. People weren't even being subtle about what they wanted. It was comical to a point.

There had been requests ranging from a beer making kit to fifty brand new hummers.

Sanderson glanced up at the silence to see who was there. If it were someone from his base they would have started with "Sir" or "Colonel". If it were his wife she would have been far less formal.

He looked and saw a man in civilian clothing. Khaki pants. White button up shirt. Shined shoes. Similar to an event in his past that had led to Selection.

Immediately he spoke, "I can save you time right now my answer is no. I'm retiring. I'm moving to someplace warm to be a stay at home father and my wife's bedroom toy. I'm out. I'm too old anyway."

The average looking white man sat down in the leather chair in front of the desk as Sanderson stamped the paper and put it on the corner of his desk. From another stack he took a file and opened it, looking over a new acquisition form.

Paperwork was one thing the Army could do that rivaled even the Air Force. One could get lost in paperwork for the simplest things.

The man's voice had the faintest hint of an accent, "I'm not here to offer you a job as a operator."

"Well, I have no desire to be a desk jockey and I hate paperwork, so intelligence is out of the question. My Purple Heart will answer the teaching position for me. Unless you want to make me president…my answer is no."

His blue eyes scanned the form requesting thirty new jet skis.

Sanderson reached for his red stamp.

"What would you say about making colonel, colonel?"

With a sigh, Sanderson stamped the white paper and filed it. Then reached for another file. Hoping to work his way through the day's requests. He wasn't very hopeful, "I'm already a colonel. Being base commander elsewhere is not a dream and the aforementioned medal bans me from battle. Therefore the positions are limited."

The man looked around the office that held no personal objects.

No pictures.

Nothing but work related documents, papers, and such. He then looked to the base commander and former operator, a legend. "We were thinking of making you colonel of our little organization. I believe you are aware Colonel Wang suffered a stroke two days ago?"

For the first time Sanderson met his eyes.

Sanderson remained silent, his interest level had risen from 0 to 100. Though he would have never admitted it.

"The colonel will not recover and steps are being taken to relieve him of his command."

Still silent, Sanderson tried to calm his heart down into a normal rhythm. It wasn't working. He had wanted nothing more then to retire and enjoy life as a civilian again.

Never had he even imagined being offered such a position. A position he was more then qualified to fill.

"We want you as colonel of our particular organization. Come back to the community, you're resume is impressive, put it to use again."

His eyes remained on the man. Unreadable. Getting his heartbeat under control, Sanderson spoke, "I promised my wife I would retire."

"Yes, congratulations on the wedding colonel. I'm sure Mrs. Sanderson a former Army Brat, Army Widow and now Army Wife again will be understanding to whatever decision you come to."

The man reached into his pocket and took out a business card with nothing more then a number.

He set it on Sanderson's desk, "You know what the position entails. You have till dawn."

The man stood and brushed out his pants for non-existent wrinkles. He then left Sanderson alone in his office.

Without a second thought Sanderson snatched the card and looked at the number that had not changed.

A million thoughts raced through his mind. All of them relating to how he could make it work. How he could keep his new marriage together after breaking a promise he had been making for the past two years. How he could move his family across the country after they had set down roots because of his promise of retirement. How he could pass up the chance of a lifetime.


	2. Chapter 2

_Authors Note: Sorry about the lack of updating. I finally had a free day over the weekend and have been able to chill and let the brain rest! So enjoy and review!_

Sanderson knew he had a hard sell and the worst part was, the more he considered the job, the more he wanted the job. It was a once in a lifetime thing and he knew it.

He also knew he had to sell it to his family who were looking forward to civilian life that loomed on the horizon.

So when he stepped inside his nice officer-housing front door and heard sounds, he hid the roses behind his back.

His family was home.

Carefully he closed the door with his foot as his son walked by. Jordan, all of 13 years and expert of everything cocked a dark eyebrow. His darker hair hung around his face.

Far too long for military standards.

He eyed his father, "What's up homes? You total the car?"

Flowers were only given out when there was trouble.

Big trouble.

All the kids knew it.

With a shake of his head Sanderson asked, "Where's everyone?"

Jordan pondered the easy question.

Took a sip from the Yoo-hoo in his hand, "Robin and Alex are at the commissary shopping. Rachael is with Mom in the garage. Daniel is sleeping. Why? What'd you do?"

Inwardly he sighed, half the females were gone. He was doing ok. "Is she in a good mood?"

There was no need to ask whom.

Jordan smirked and a mouthful of braces was the result, "Kinda. She was out looking for chicken eggs from Harry. No stupid patients came to the hospital. And she paid the bills and has like forty bucks extra in the checking account. Why? What'd you do? Come on Dad, you can tell me."

Sanderson patted his teenage son with the roses as he walked by, "The garage it is. Are you packed?"

Jordan snorted.

Sanderson glanced over his shoulder and his son added, "Dad, we're all packed and ready to go."

Guilt weighed heavily in Sanderson's stomach. He gave his son a look, "Why are you home then? Shouldn't you be out with your friends?"

Jordan gave his father an odd look. He sipped his chocolate drink, "Dad, you grounded me last night for getting in trouble with my so called _delinquent_ friends, as you so eloquently put it. Remember?"

He took a breath as his son regarded him with great interest. Then he took out his wallet and took out some money, "Go to the commissary and pick up something. Anything. Just, get out of the house for half an hour."

Jordan's eyes widened in shock knowing his father now had news that would send his step-mom off the wall. "You're not retiring are you?"

Sanderson pointed to the door, "Now."

Under his breath Jordan began to swear. He took the money from his father and muttered as he stomped out. "Hope she chews you a new ass, I knew you wouldn't friggin retire. Mom better beat your ass for this. There goes civilian-ship."

The front door slammed.

Sanderson bit his lip.

On any other occasion he'd pop his son upside the head. Not today. No, he had bad news for everyone. Drudgingly he walked through the nice house toward the garage.

On the garage door was a picture of some of his old teammates. From back in his early Delta days. His Delta days had been nothing more then a memory as base commander. He stopped and looked at the picture. It was a much younger Sanderson, Hoot, and Randy. All three in the garage of their fellow Delta's house, Gordon. The picture was old, framed, and made Sanderson smile.

With a silent prayer he pushed the garage door open and stepped inside the chaos.

His late best friend's daughter stood peering into the trunk of a Chevy Impala, where her mother was hanging out of. The two women caught his eye. For one, the girl he considered his daughter had something on they called a shirt, but didn't cover her stomach. Her shorts were worse. She turned to Sanderson, "Dad, mom won't let me go out. I did my chores and homework and clipped Harry's nails. Can I go please?"

He turned to her mother, his long-term girlfriend, and now wife whose bottom stuck up out of the Impala in shorts about the same length. But around the house shorts. Shorts he was quite fond of, "Diana?"

A long time ago before she was a widow, when she was wife of his late best friend, he had learned that she ruled the house. She could destroy a person with a look.

From in the trunk she declared, "Not dressed like that she's not going out!" Something popped and then she climbed out of the trunk of the car. A silky purple shirt fell down over the shorts.

"Mom has shorts shorter then mine! Dad!"

Roses hidden behind his back, Sanderson spoke, "Obey your mother. Go change and come back, then I'll let you know if you can go out of not."

The pre-teen stamped her foot.

Screamed, and stomped past Sanderson into the garage screaming about injustice.

Even though he was a colonel, Sanderson knew who ran his house. He was too old and tired to care what the young men thought. He rather enjoyed not having to make any sort of decision when he came home.

Diana gave him an eye roll and blew a strand of dark hair out of her face, "The car now has a spare tire, colonel."

"Did you have a flat tire?"

She strolled over to his workbench, past his Harley and Harry's traveling box.

"Yeah. Don't worry, some of your minions stopped and changed it for me. Who are the roses for? They better not be for me." She put the hammer back in the toolbox and poked around for her to do list. When he didn't say anything she stopped what she was doing and looked over her shoulder at him as he came closer. Wearing simple BDU's that she loved. His name embroidered on a patch above the chest pocket, with a patch that read ARMY above the other chest pocket. "You aren't retiring? Are you?"

He stepped up to her and swatted at her bottom with the flowers, "Its up to you and the kids."

Her unique teal eyes narrowed.

She processed the limited information she had been giving. Growing up an Army Brat and being an Army Wife gave her inside knowledge, plus she knew Sanderson quite well, intimately well. She knew he was bored being base commander and tired of the regular Army. He wanted a challenge and that's what civilian life offered. He hadn't been a civilian in decades. Unless they offered him a once in a lifetime job.

"What job are you being offered?"

"Colonel Wang had a stroke and won't recover," was all Sanderson told her.

She could fill in the lines.

She turned and snatched the flowers. She smelled them and then smacked him upside the head with them. More then a little pissed off. "What am I supposed to tell you?! No! You have got to be kidding! You're taking the job, have you told them yes yet?"

Over the years he had grown accustomed to the fact her mood could change in a matter of seconds. Calmly he grabbed her wrists and gently held them. Knowing he was much stronger then her. He may have been injured, but he still had the mentality of the Special Forces Operator he had been for the majority of his career. He spent four days a week at the gym religiously.

Her eyes blazed, "Call them and tell them yes. You'll never forgive yourself if you don't. You know it and I know it."

She was right and he hated it.

He hated that she could read him like a book.

With a sigh he asked, "What about the kids?"

"What about them? They're minors. They are our slave labor until they are 18 and go to college that we'll have to pay for. The least we can do is give them a reason to flee and go to college."

He hated that he was playing devils advocate, really he did, especially since she was telling him what he wanted to hear. Because she was being honest and wanted him to be happy, wanted him to be fulfilled. She pulled her hands away from him and grabbed handfuls of his BDU jacket, "Baby, you will be bored as a civvie. The kids will be like fishes out of water. Plus, they're teenagers, they don't know what they want. Give me the number, I'll call them."

For a minute he wanted her to be devils advocate.

He swatted at her with the flowers, "Diana. I'm serious. What will you do, what about the kids. You hate being the "Colonels Wife" you'll have even more responsibility if I take this job. You would have to cut back your hospital hours. The kids would be brats even longer. I thought you wanted them to be exposed to civilian life, especially with Jordan and Rachael pondering enlistment as future careers."

She gave him a good shake by the BDU jacket.

"And what are you going to do as a civvie? You'll get bored at home within a week. If you join the police force you'll be restricted by that little thing called the Constitution and it's Amendments. Our little Army Brats will get themselves in trouble at civilian school as they adjust. Jordan and Rachael will enlist no matter what, we have to talk them into college and the ROTC. The other two we don't have to worry about and Daniel is too young to care."

She could see the look on his face.

"You want me to take the job?"

She pulled him close by his camo jacket, "I want you to be happy." She then grabbed the collar of his jacket and pulled him closer, brushing her lips softly against his. At first he hesitated. When her grip on his collar loosened he hungrily returned her kiss. Wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close. His hands traveled down to the hem of her shirt and began to trek upwards under then hem.

Remembering that the garage door was open she broke the kiss, "Colonel, even though we'll be gone in a matter of days, I don't really think you should be giving the officers a show."

He nodded, then remembered that he had given Jordan a job. "If you can get Rachael dressed and out of the house, we have about fifteen minutes until Jordan gets home."

She pursed her lips, "Fifteen minutes…that'll work."


	3. Chapter 3

_Authors Note: Ok! None of the events or occurrences in this have happened, they are just figments of my imagination. I have a plot! Or, since this is me, a dozen little subplots tying all my characters together. So please no lawsuits. I'm really poor. Enjoy and review!_

**3. A week later…**

Sanderson walked down the hall of his new office, a building he had been to previously in his past. He'd spent a good part of his career in the Delta Compound and would probably finish his career in the building.

He had just given the all clear for an entire team to deploy. Was trying to get three operators on another team NEST Clearance.

Then there was the current feud going on with the Seal Teams up in Norfolk.

To top it all off there were three people waiting for him outside his office, which he wasn't even on his way to. With a quick check at his watch Sanderson approached the people.

One was a female, his aide.

Another was Master Sergeant Deon Gibson, an Operator.

The other was a guard who had a package.

Sanderson immediately assessed and determined who was dealt with where and when. "Master Sergeant Gibson, I'll meet you in my office."

There was no arguing or anything, the tall black man silently walked into the office and closed the door.

Sanderson turned to the guard who addressed him, Colonel Sanderson, Base Commander Colonel Steele sent this over."

Thanking the man who usually stood watch over the compound, Sanderson tucked the cardboard package under his arm and looked to his aide as the guard left. "Yes Eve?"

She handed him three pieces of paper. "The first fax is from the Pentagon about something. It got boring after the second paragraph so I'll let you summarize it. The second fax is from Captain Gomez from Norfolk, he's threatening to go to the Joint Chiefs over the situation in Indonesia. Apparently he wants his Seals to get the job. Then the bottom piece of paper is a phone number for the school, your son apparently got in a fight at school. Your wife already took care of the matter and brought him to the base hospital for treatment. But the school called anyway since this is the second time he's attacked another student."

Looking upwards for a moment, Sanderson then nodded, "Thanks Eve."

Sanderson then headed into his office, a slight detour.

Knowing he'd deal with Deon first.

Once he got on the phone with the lively Captain Gomez, it'd be a while before he got off.

He didn't want to open the package from Steele yet. Later, when he was alone in his office.

Then there was the matter of the wife and son. Knowing Diana she had everything under control, he just had to talk her into being a traditional Officer's Wife, so far it wasn't going well.

At the Colonel's appearance Deon asked, "Sir, could you close the door?"

With a nod Sanderson did.

He walked in and dropped the papers and package on the desk, "What can I do for you Gibson?"

The thirty something former Green Beret sat straight up and leant on his CO's desk, "Sir, are you familiar with the attacks happening off base on civilian women? The Parking Lot Offender?"

Vaguely remembering hearing about it on the news Sanderson made a face, "The women getting kidnapped, raped, and killed off base?"

"Yes sir. Well sir, last night Rosie and I went off base to the mall. When we left I went and got the car. I told her to wait in the mall because of that…um, sir, I noticed these guys hanging out in the lot. They were watching her from the cars. They never went near her or anything. But there was something wrong about them being there hanging out. It was late when we went…close to closing time."

Sanderson hung on every word coming out of the man's mouth. He sat behind his desk, absent of any personal objects. Only looking for a phone book. "Did you call the local police?"

"No sir…I didn't want them poking around me."

"Did you get a look at them," was Sanderson's next question.

"No sir, not really. Once they realized that I was watching them they ran off."

The wheels began to turn in Sanderson's head.

He looked at one of his fledglings and told him, "I'll call the locals. Just give the wife a heads up, tell the other guys too. I'll see if I can spread the word through the compound and get the colonel to alert the base."

Deon stood and left.

Formality never a big issue among such professionals.

Once the door was closed behind Deon Sanderson flipped through the phonebook for the greater Fayetteville area, found the police number, dialed and grabbed Steele's package. While the phone rang Sanderson ripped it open and peeked inside.

There were two sheets of paper.

Shaking his head in disbelief Sanderson took them out with weathered fingers.

"Fayetteville Police Department how may I direct your call?"

Sanderson pulled the papers apart, "Yes, I'm Colonel Jefferson Sanderson from base and I need to speak to someone involved with the _Parking Lot Case_."

"Hold on one minute colonel."

His grayish blue eyes scanned the invitation to the highest-ranking General on base's birthday party. One as a colonel he and the wife would be expected to attend.

In formal attire and no less.


	4. Chapter 4

**4.**

Boxes were still scattered all around the house when Sanderson got home. Some weren't even open, others were empty, some were being used as makeshift furniture till the second truck with the furniture arrived.

The house was in a state of chaos.

Dodging boxes, Sanderson made sure he didn't set his cover down anywhere. There was a good chance he would never see it again.

On his way through the large house, which was showing signs of becoming a home he passed Hoot's youngest daughter, Rachael, and her pet chicken Harry. Without looking up she continued to paint the animals toenails, "Tomorrow is 4H and Harry is going. There's going to be a hen and we're gonna see if we can breed them."

For just a moment Sanderson considered the comment.

He looked down at the head of thick and wavy dark hair pulled up in a braid. Down at the head of a young girl he considered his as much as the other four kids in the house.

Gently he swatted at the back of her head.

She glanced up at him with her fathers brown eyes.

"You do realize that Harry's a boy chicken."

She nodded.

"Where's everyone else? It's quiet in here."

Rachael looked back to her task. "Robin and Alex are over interning at that gallery for another hour. Daniel's napping. Jordan is bugging Mom and Mom is getting ready for that big shindig. She's been putting makeup on trying to cover where the U-Haul mirror nailed her."

Oblivious to the chicken, Sanderson walked to the counter and grabbed a big red apple from the fruit bowl. He rubbed it on his uniform, "Any luck."

Concentrating, Rachael snorted and looked up, "Kinda. Last I saw it looks like she's trying to cover a bruise with makeup. You should have been there, it was hysterical. She was swearing like a sailor once she was sure her cheek wasn't broken."

He bit into the apple and headed towards the master bedroom, on the first floor. Unsure whether he was glad or mad about missing that colorful event that occurred during the cross-country move. He walked down an empty hall, past three cans of paint on the floor, and into the master bedroom where he could hear his oldest son and Diana.

The two were in the master bathroom.

"Oh come on D. All the other kids get help with this project."

"I am helping you and no…you are not getting hold of my passports. All your getting is that one."

A fresh uniform ironed and starched hung from the fan. Briefly Sanderson walked to it, casually inspecting it. It was clean, wrinkle free and perfect.

"D! Come one! I know you were in Rwanda during the Genocide. I know you were in Russia after the Chechnya Conflict and I also know you were down in Columbia right before that dude was killed."

The smell of perfume filled the air.

The smell had grown on Sanderson. It was bold and fresh, he could find her in a room by smell alone when she wore that. He strolled across the large room and peeked in the equally large bathroom where his son was perched on the counter, flipping through a passport.

"Noriega was the _ dude_, son."

At that Jordan looked to Diana, who expertly applied liquid eyeliner, "Yeah, him! I could get an A on this project if you would be forthcoming about the places you have worked."

Managing to talk without smearing the black liquid, Diana told the teenager, "Prove I was there and you can have access to my passports. Why don't you do this project on your father?"

Jordan looked to his father. His father lifted his eyebrows and tried not to look too obvious while he watched his new wife apply makeup with ease. Something about it had always fascinated him.

"Oh yeah! That'd go over real well…I'd probably be breaking some sort of law by writing about my father's career in Delta Force! Come on D, be reasonable here, work with me."

Almost immediately Sanderson looked at his son, "And how do you know that?"

In the way of teenagers.

Jordan rolled his eyes, sighed, and answered his father all at once, "Dad, come on. How many kids do you know that have Dad's in the Army who came speak four languages fluently? Almost never get deployed, and only get sent away after a page for weeks? How many dads do you know work behind a chain link fence guarded by men with automatic weapons? How many Army Dad's do you know can grow a beard and hairstyle resembling a member of ZZ Top? Plus you get to customize all your weapons and wear whatever gear you want. Seriously dad, I'm not eight anymore." Jordan then turned to Diana, "Now, about this passport issue…how many do you have? Seriously."

Almost amused, Diana chased him off the counter with her eyelash curlers, "One in this house. Now scat, I have to change."

Jordan stomped past Sanderson, then turned and pointed, "Fine! I'll be online if you need me!" At that he stomped out of the bedroom and down the hall.

Once Sanderson was sure his son was out of ear range he looked back to a disrobing Diana.

Briefly, he was distracted by the lingerie.

"So ummm…how long has he know?"

He moved as Diana reached behind him for a bag hanging from the back of the door. He took a seat on the toilet seat to watch.

While she pulled the bag off she answered his question, "He figured it out on the drive here. He was reading "Inside Delta Force" and a couple other military books. I already spoke with him about it."


	5. Chapter 5

**5.**

Master Sergeant Matt Eversman followed his wife around the Home Depot trying his very best to talk her into a grill. A nice big one with wheels. A grill that ran off propane, that had two shelves for meat and came with tools. It was a Master Grill.

So far his argument was not working so well.

But he continued his argument while he pushed a cart full of paint and curtain rods for the remodeling of their daughters room. "But just think, I can BBQ all year and keep the heat out of the house! It's win win!"

"No."

"Lily, just hear me out…"

Lily turned, her blonde hair up in a ponytail, in her Saturday work clothes , which consisted of Daisy Duke Shorts and a little t-shirt, paired with sneakers and no socks. She swatted at her husbands wandering hand when he came up beside her. She then pointed at him with her purple feather quill pen.

His rich brown eyes watched her from beneath his Tel Aviv baseball cap.

"We cannot afford a three thousand dollar grill. Plus, you owe me a diamond ring for our fifth anniversary. I'm getting my diamond before you get a grill. So you're stuck with your firepit in the yard."

He grabbed the belt loop on the back of her shorts and pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her he buried his face against her neck, "Please…I'll do whatever you want."

Oblivious to the people in the aisle with them, Lily allowed him to maul and grope her in public.

Lily gave the elderly couple in church clothes a smile. They gave her a disapproving look. One she ignored. Lily then swatted at Matt with her list. "Baby, come on, if you behave yourself you'll get car sex when we leave here."

At that Matt lifted his head from his wife's neck.

He looked down into her blue eyes and softly kissed her lips. "Ok, lets go."

Again she swatted at him and pointed, "Go get me three metal door hinges for the kitchen cabinets and I'll give you a bj."

Matt grinned and the elderly couple gawked.

As Matt headed off down the aisle, he looked back at his wife who turned her attention back to look at light bulbs, "You're the best wife ever!"

Lily grabbed a pink light, checking the wattage after she blew her husband a kiss.

**Three Aisles over…**

With a rather broad smile over the Operator's face. Not only was he spending quality time with the wife in Home Depot, but he was going to get lucky. It was turning out to be a great night.

Matt pushed the cart into the aisle where the object of his search was supposed to be, according to the teenager with bad acne in a bright orange smock.

He ran right into another cart.

At the sight of a woman in her late twenties behind it Matt immediately began to apologize, incessantly. He noticed there was a man with her, but he was staring at the woman and he knew it.

He knew the lady from somewhere.

There was something about her, he knew he had seen her, he knew he knew her and as he continued to apologize he tried as hard as he could to place her. "Ma'am I am terribly sorry, I didn't see you. Are you ok? I didn't hurt you or run over your feet? Again, I am so sorry."

He knew he knew her and it wasn't just that she stuck out like a sore thumb. She didn't belong in Home Depot, or among common people. Her jeans were obviously designer. She had flaming red hair cut in a short pixie style and exceedingly calm and kind eyes.

Huge diamond stud earrings were blatantly obvious in her ears.

She gave him a kind smile, "Sir, it's ok. Don't worry about it."

The man beside her, who Matt immediately recognized pointed, "Matt! Watch where you're going! This is a public store, you shouldn't have been running around with that thing! You could have killed someone!"

Matt rolled his eyes and flipped his friend off. He then asked his friend, fellow Operator and Master Sergeant Garren VanBlack, a Native American from the Cherokee Nation in Tennessee. "Who is this stunning woman? Is he stalking you ma'am? Should I call 911 on your behalf?"

She shook her head and looked to Garren.

Garren in turn told Eversman, "Fuck you. Matt…this is Angela, remember, I told you about her? Darling, this is dickhead. He pushes paper with me."

Momentarily Matt was confused, then he nodded, "Yep. I push more paper though. Garren here just has chats with the copier. They sing Navajo songs together."

"Cherokee," Garren corrected. He then turned to Angela, his girlfriend of six months, it would have been longer if she would have agreed to date him sooner.

Angela gave Matt a kind smile and then turned to Garren, "I'm going to go look at paint and then I'm going to pay." She looked back to Matt as she pushed the cart, "Nice meeting you."

Both men chatted about baseball until she was long gone. Only then did Matt venture, "So that is your elusive girlfriend. Have you figured out her last name yet?"

Irritated, Garren shook his head, "No! I haven't even found her house! Her agent is a bitch and won't tell me anything more then her first name. The three girls…nothing, I'd have better luck getting something out of the dog. She almost left my ass when I told her I was in the Army."

Matt nodded, understanding his friend's frustration.

He sighed and bumped his cart against Garren's, "I've seen her before. I just can't place her…did you snoop through her purse?"

Garren glared, "Did you honestly think I haven't tried? She almost took my hand off when I picked it up one day. Look I got to run…I'll see you."

**Three months ago…**

Angela spotted the base tag on the back of Garren's Jeep the second he parked it in front of her gallery. At the sight of it a coldness swept through her body. She looked to the handsome man who jumped from the vehicle with ease.

Fear seized her.

She pointed to the sticker, "You're in the Army?"

He walked up to her, arms outstretched. She pushed him away and pointed again to the sticker, wanting an answer.

Confused, Garren pushed the sunglasses up on top of his head. He would have preferred them covering his eyes since it was early summer and the sun was bright early.

On the sidewalk of a busy street in front of a high end art gallery, Garren was not only confused, but so far out of his comfort area he might as well have been shot out of a cannon.

"Yeah, why?"

Immediately Angela shook her head, "No. No we cannot date then. I…I don't date enlisted men."

He felt her previous fear. Quickly he stepped in front of the gallery door, "Wait. Hold on a minute, you're breaking up with me because of my job? You don't even know what I do in the Army."

With the door blocked by a quite sizable man that she knew would never hurt her, it wasn't just a feeling, she knew it. In the years since her widowhood she hadn't met a soul she felt a tad compatible with except for Garren.

The sickening feeling of impending heartbreak was hitting, along with the fear of possible future loss. Angela was very happy she had her dark sunglasses on.

He put his calloused hands on her shoulders.

When she wouldn't let him pull her close, he stepped toward her. "Look, I know what you're thinking. But you don't have to worry. I'm stuck in a desk. You have no idea how much paperwork I do…you have a more dangerous job then I do. I'm a desk jockey. I saw more action in boot camp," he lied seamlessly.

She looked at him through near black sunglasses.

Gently he pulled them off her face. He then kissed her and thumbed her short hair. "Come on, this isn't a big deal."

Her eyes searched his face.

Hopeful for something, he could see it. He cupped her face between his hands and kissed her again.


	6. Chapter 6

**6.**

From where Sanderson stood he could see Diana, mere feet away, spitting distance infact. Dressed to kill in a slinky silky black evening gown that had not gone unnoticed by the men in the room.

Somewhere between getting them both drinks and her running to the ladies room he had lost her.

Lost her for half an hour.

While he wasn't worried, he knew she was probably better in the social scene of officer-land. Especially at the General's Birthday. Which just happened to be who she was holding a lively discussion with, much to the dismay of the officers who had been trying their best to get a word in with the general.

In front of Sanderson however was a Lt. Colonel who would never make Colonel. He had pissed off far too many people in positions above and below him. Including Sanderson who was reconsidering the vow he had made himself years ago to never again drink.

Occasionally, Sanderson would see one of the men or women he knew in the crowd around him.

They would point and laugh.

"So…Jeff, I can call you Jeff right?"

Giving the Lt. Col a look that was just short of homicidal, "So long as there is Colonel in front of it."

Sanderson shot another glance towards Diana, hoping, praying that Lt. Col Ramsey would get the clue.

It wasn't working.

He did notice though and followed Sanderson's gaze, sipping what was his sixth glass of Scotch of the evening. Which was not wasted on Sanderson. "She's a knockout. Is she still working? I can't believe she's working…she's the only Colonel's wife who has a full time job you know."

Unimpressed and not amused, Sanderson briefly wondered if anyone would notice should he snap the man's neck. He quickly decided there were too many witnesses…though most of the witnesses were not fans of Lt. Col Ramsey. He might be able to get away with it.

Both men watched as the General placed a hand on Diana's exposed back. In a fatherly way. It neither wandered or felt-up. It rested light as a feather and oh so subtly moved her out of reach of a intoxicated officer mere feet away, one who had the strong possibility of collapsing while he attempted to dance.

"Never thought about it," Sanderson growled, attempting to inch his way closer to the wife.

"Oh…I get it, you make the wife pay for her and her kids."

Suddenly, for the first time in the evening the Lt. Col had Sanderson's full attention, "What?"

Laughing and sipping his watered down Scotch, the Lt. Col nodded in a knowing way. "I made my wife pay for her shopping and crap for her kid."

Sanderson considered making a remark relating to the fact that the Lt. Col was a divorced man. Instead in a less civilized approach he told the fellow man and Army Officer, "You're an asshole."

Blinking and pretty drunk, "What?"

"If you'll excuse me."

At that Sanderson made his escape. He wound around several officer and flipped off one who had laughed at him when he had been trapped with the drunk Lt. Col Ramsey.

With a swift shove, Sanderson got the dancing drunk officer farther away from his somewhat newly acquired wife. It was then General Stoner noticed him, "Jeff! Come on over here son, I have your wife, did you want her back?"

Upon entering the circle that held another General, two Colonels and his wife Sanderson was greeted open and warmly, the officers having a few drinks in them contributed to their welcoming state.

Quickly collecting his wife, a tall lanky Colonel of Iroquois descent who held a pretty tall glass of the Captain, inquired, "So Colonel, how does it feel to be back here as an officer? Instead of a _Special Operator_?"

A slight feeling of apprehension passed through him. Being the only officer in the circle to not have gone through West Point, to have gone through OCS. Which in itself was hard. But Sanderson was not the pedigree officer and was well aware of it.

The deft hand that wound it's way around his waist, snuck under the navy blue dress uniform jacket, and came to rest upon his matching perfectly starched pants caught his attention.

More so when skillful little fingers began to dig their way under his belt.

Glancing down at Diana who gave him the world's kindest smile. The kind you give your priest every Sunday morning after church.

He returned the smile.

Feeling more at ease and really hoping her hand wouldn't go down his pants, he turned to the men, "The pay is a considerable amount better, housings nicer too."

The small Colonel laughed among his friends, "My wife loves that too. You don't want to know how much she spends. I swear she spends her days at home thinking of new ways to spend my money."

The General made a face, "Your wife is twenty-two years old!"

Diana's wedding band suddenly touched the skin of his back, the ring slightly scrapping the sensitive skin on the small of his back. At that Sanderson leant down and whispered into Diana's ear. Smelling the flowery scent of whatever shampoo she had used, pair with her perfume, and the softness of her skin against his nose and cheek. "Are you digging for gold?"

A smile curled on her lips.

Taking that as a yes, he then asked against her ear, spotting several men and one woman watching the exchange from the mass of people behind them.

"Diana! How old were you when you married Sergeant Gibson?"

Looking back to the General who had spoken as Diana oh-so-calmly replied, "Twenty-four. But he wasn't quite thirty. Hardly gold-digging, plus I made more then him so leave me out of this."

Sanderson jumped.

The men and Diana looked at him while he fished his vibrating pager from his belt, where it had been concealed.


	7. Chapter 7

_Authors Note: Ok, I had to have teenage rebellion somewhere in here and I have to have it somewhat realistic, haha. So enjoy and review. Love hearing input, ideas, advice, and your thoughts._

**7.**

**The Home of Col. Sanderson.**

It was around two when something woke Robin Gibson up.

Being the oldest daughter of Diana Gibson – Sanderson, she felt no fear or apprehension. At a whole fourteen years old and not quite halfway through puberty, she climbed from bed and walked across the carpet of the bedroom she shared with her stepsister, Alexandria Sanderson.

Who was MIA from her bed.

This did not surprise Robin.

Sleepily she went to the room's window and peeked out the sheer curtain.

The street was pitch black except for streetlights.

In their driveway was a battered 1990's small cab Ford pickup truck. Robin knew whom it belonged to. She also knew it was time to let her stepbrother know that his sister had a boyfriend.

In an ankle length flowered nightgown she jogged from her bedroom, across the hall, opened a door covered with pictures of scantily clad women.

A dim light was on in Jordan Sanderson's bedroom. He sat in a pair of Tweety Bird boxers playing a shooting game on his computer.

She walked over to him.

Like a true sister she smacked him not so lightly upside his head.

He reacted as such.

Letting out a shrill scream and throwing the controller up in the air. He spun around in the chair expecting to see his step mom, Diana, or simply D. Instead he saw his stepsister who might as well have been blood related.

"What is your problem!?"

Oh so calmly.

Oblivious of the posters of scantily clad women that covered his wall, Robin crossed her arms and told Jordan, "Alex is parked in the driveway with a nineteen year old Ranger."

**The driveway…**

"Do you know exactly how long you'll be at the gallery after school? Maybe once a week or so I could come over and we could have dinner?"

Sitting in near darkness of the cab, Alexandria could not help but smile. Not only was she sitting quite close to a gorgeous Ranger whom she was more then smitten with, but she had just gone to a fabulous concert.

It had been a great night.

Still, being smart and mature for her age, a curse really, she shook her head at Ranger Ben Rouze. "No…dinner could lead to a date and I hate to tell you, again, but…I'm still jail-bait after my birthday for another year."

The young Ranger reached over, taking her hand. "Look, we've been through this Alex. I can wait. I just want to spend time with you. You're a lot different from girls my age and your age, actually. Sixteen is a year and two weeks away, by then we'll have dated for a while and'll be in a serious relationship."

She eyed his doubtfully.

An obscene grin slowly grew on her face. She gave his warm calloused hand a squeeze, "Guys your age are not known for their ability to remain celibate."

His brown eyes glittered in the dark warm cab.

"Alex…"

She shook her head and spotted her front door open, and her brother come out in boxers holding a baseball bat. Calmly she told her new friend and admirer while she opened her door, "No. Seriously, go date someone your own age. From what I hear you really enjoy dating and everything involved…you're quite notorious around base Mr. Rouze. When I turn 16 give me a call if you're still interested."

Calmly she opened the door and hopped out of the truck with the grace of a ballerina.

Something not easily accomplished in five-inch heels that she had borrowed from Diana's closet.

Jordan quickly ran to his sister's side. Bat in hand. Looking almost menacing, since he was stick thin from a teenage boys metabolism.

The driver's door opened and Jordan turned, ready for battle. Upon seeing the Ranger who emerged from the cab he groaned, "Ben! Go away! Go violate someone else's sister. I swear to both our Gods I'll crack your head open with my bat!"

Alexandria laid a hand with perfectly manicured fingernails on her brother's wrist, "Jordan. Calm down, he was a perfect gentleman."

At that she walked around her brother, having taken his bat. With a wave she headed to the door where Robin waited, "Goodnight Ben."

Jordan stomped with bare feet to a Ranger he was familiar with and shoved the young adult backwards. "Go away Ben! She's not like all the other tramps you date. She's not easy and she's Muslim. Two things you don't like!"

Knowing that the angry half Jordanian thirteen year old was right, but knowing that he was smitten, Ben countered, "Jordan, come on. I really like your sister."

Not wanting to hear anymore of it, Jordan shoved the Ranger again. "No! My dads a colonel! That's bad for your career in case you didn't know. Plus…even if I would let you within ten feet of my sister, which I'm not, you'd have to get tested. Everyone on base knows where you've been."

Slightly annoyed.

Ben peeked over Jordan's head and saw Robin waiting in the doorway, phone in hand.

Alexandria nowhere in sight.

"Tested for what?"

"Everything!" Jordan shrieked.

He looked back to Jordan, "So if I get tested can I date your sister?"

"NO! N. O. No means no! Didn't they teach you that in your Sexual Harassment Class!"


	8. Chapter 8

**8.**

**The Fayetteville Police Station.**

**3ish in the morning.**

Sheriff Duncan came to a stop with two Colonels' in full dress blues mere inches away from him.

Not one of the men had a smile on their face.

Which wasn't odd concerning the situation. The sixtyish black man knew his way around Army and Civilian Jurisdiction and knew he was needing to be very careful with as he proceeded.

Not only did he have two serial killers dead. They were killed in self-defense by two Special Forces soldiers who according to their paperwork, or lack thereof, didn't exist.

"We really need their help…colonels. There are four predators that we know of. So far your men have been extremely helpful, charges are not going to be pressed so don't worry. But I am very concerned…"

Sheriff Duncan had Sanderson's complete attention, Steele peeked in the two interrogation rooms where the individual Operators and their significant others were being held.

"…Mrs. Eversman's purse was taken during her attack, these men are dangerous and may attempt to stalk her. The other lady, Mrs. Gordon…"

"Excuse me?"

Sheriff Duncan paused and pointed, "She's in there with Master Sergeant VanBlack. Well she seemed to be unharmed but the remaining assailants stole her vehicle."

Colonel Steele quickly peeked past Sanderson, both men stared at the widow of the late Master Sergeant Gary Gordon.

"She cut her hair," Steele remarked.

Sanderson looked between the two windows, two rooms, and two couples. Then back to the sheriff, "Could I speak with my men?"

With a shrug in the all but deserted area of the police department, the Sheriff nodded, "Absolutely colonel, I do need a word with one of you though."

Through the one-way glass Sanderson could see his brother-in-law looking down into his lap, gently touching something. The something obviously was his sister whose barefeet he could make out from underneath the table.

At that Sanderson walked into the room where his sister and brother-in-law had been confined for the past several hours, letting Steele handle whatever the Sheriff wanted and or needed.

He closed the door behind him as Eversman looked up, obviously irritated.

The clothes he wore were not his. The shirt was far too large and there was a cut across his cheek. A thin one, as if someone had slashed at him with a knife.

On his neck there was a forming bruise.

Other then that he didn't look like he had killed someone.

At the sight of Sanderson. A friendly and familiar face relief crossed Eversmans face, he looked down into his lap, "Sweetie, it's your brother."

A head of loose blonde hair popped up.

At the sight of his sister Sanderson literally was shocked. He came to a momentary stop and found he had taken a breath, which he then let out. He had seen men bloody, battered, dead, and worse: Never had he ever imagined seeing his sister in such a state.

Bruised, battered, and bloody in places, she looked as if she had spent the evening literally fighting for her life. She looked to Matt, who gently touched her swollen temple with the backside of his fingers, afraid he'd harm her further, and then back to her brother, "Can we go home now?"

Sanderson's silence gave her an answer.

With a groan she sagged back down into her husbands lap, utterly exhausted.

Sanderson then walked into the room and around the table where he could see his sister completely.

"Colonel Steele is working on that right now…you two received medical attention?"

Eversman nodded as he began to rub Lily's back softly, soothingly.

The bright pick plaster cast on her wrist did not go unnoticed by Sanderson, nor did the stitches on Eversman's arm. It was then he had to ask, "How'd you do it?"

Honestly Matt looked up at his commanding officer, "Sir…I don't remember. Garren does…all I remember is hearing her scream…and then I lost it. I saw them attacking her and the next thing I knew the big one wasn't moving."

Understanding how emotions worked.

Sanderson then inquired, "The big one had a knife."

As Eversman continued to comfort his wife he glanced at the stitches on his arm and kind of shrugged, "Maybe…I don't know. I lost it, I completely lost control."

"Ok."

Sanderson didn't touch his sister. He knew she was in good hands and knew she didn't want him to be touching her, comforting her. She was already being comforted and he wasn't going to intrude on Eversman's husbandly duties. He may have been her older brother, but Matt was her husband.

"I'm going to go speak with VanBlack. We'll get you out as soon as humanly possible," was what Lily heard her brother say. She didn't see him mouth to Eversman, _You ok?_

She didn't see her husband nod.

She didn't see her brother mouth, _She ok?_

Or see her husband ever-so-slightly shrug.

She just continued to lay with her face curled on her husbands warm thigh, revel in his strength and comfort, and savor his touch: even though they were in a police station and she had nothing but borrowed clothes on since hers had been taken for evidence.

**The other room…**

Sanderson stepped in the interrogation room across the hall from the one that held his family, literally. Then into one that held an old friend he had not seen in years.

Excluding of course the times he had seen her in magazines or on the TV.

At the sight of him both looked up from where they were standing in the corner of the room, talking quietly amongst themselves.

Calmly, Garren VanBlack, stood straighter and addressed his commanding officer, "Sir."

Angela's dark eyes widened in horror as she put the pieces together. She stepped away from Garren, utterly shocked and suddenly visibly upset. She looked repeatedly between the two men as she got distance from Garren, she looked to Sanderson, "Why…why are you here? Please don't tell me what I think you're going to tell me."

"Angela…"

She held her hand up and waited for Sanderson, who simply told her, "I'm his boss."

Tears welled up in her eyes.

Knowing full well what Sanderson was doing, having spoken to Diana days earlier. A sob shook her body as the tears began to stream down her cheeks.

Both men spoke her name.

Again, she held a hand up silencing Garren and she asked Sanderson, "He…he…he does what…Gordon did?"

"Yes."

"Whose Gordon?"

Sanderson ignored his NCO and placed his hands on the sobbing woman's shoulders, "Angela, the cops gave you permission to go and collect your children. Diana is waiting out in the parking lot, she'll go with you and bring you on base where you'll be safe until this is all sorted out."

Through the tears Angela nodded.

She tried her best to wipe the tears away and only suceeded in wetting her cheeks. All she could manage was, "I can't do this again…I can't…"

Sanderson took her face between his hands and gave Garren a warning look that dared him to step closer. When Angela finally looked up into his intense blue eyes she saw kindness and warmth she remembered from her past.

"You need to go get your daughters, the police are picking them up from your house and will be here soon. Diana will take you to our house. I'll make sure no harm comes to you and your girls."

The tears continued and they killed Sanderson. He'd seen her cry too much. He'd held her while she sobbed at her husbands funeral. He held her hand while she sobbed giving birth to her twin daughters. He held her while she sobbed as she was moved off-base.

He wanted nothing more then to see her happy.


	9. Chapter 9

**9.**

**Police Parking Lot…**

Diana walked around the front area of her car holding a sleeping little girl around five years old, with golden blond hair and brown eyes, in a _Barbie Fairy Princess Nightgown._

Officer Whats-his-name held the other daughter, an five year old Asian girl in a _My Little Pony Nightgown_, who watched what was going on with intent brown eyes, which she fingered the golden badge that pressed into her shoulder.

Officer Whats-his-name stared straight ahead.

After getting a nasty look from the colonels wife as he checked out Angela while she buckled her other daughter in the back of the Impala. Once the sleeping child was safely restrained Angela stood and took her adopted daughter from the officer and leant in the car.

While the young girl inquired where they were going, Diana turned to the helpful officer, "You can go now. I have a gun and it's bigger then yours."

For just a moment the officer stared.

Diana brandished her purse and Angela peeked out from the backseat of the car, "It's ok Officer Perkins. We're leaving in a moment."

A small hand grabbed Angela's shoulder, she gave her attention back to her daughter, Ping. "Where are we going? I want to go home."

Angela smoothed her hand over her daughters jet-black hair and kissed the top of her head, "Uncle Sanderson's for now, and then we're going to the big gallery."

Well aware of where the "Big Gallery" was located, Diana mentally strategizing as to how she was going to keep Angela in the state. But she remained quiet while rocking the sleeping child.

**Meanwhile…**

Colonel Steele led the way out of the police station with Master Sergeant Matt Eversman at his side, holding his wife's smaller, considerably smaller bruised hand. "Sir…you cannot be serious. I have to report for range time tomorrow I have no time to come back here. Why can't they fax us the mug shots, I'll circle the correct one, and then we fax I back?"

Wanting nothing more then to be out of the civilian police station. Away from Colonel Sanderson. Away from the knowing gaze of Diana, who knew just what his wife was up to. He wanted to get home to see if she was there, or if the rumors were true.

He really didn't want to be involved in a big public investigation, he didn't want the base drug through the press.

He was also well aware of the eyes that followed him through the police station. Even though it was near deserted he wondered if one of the eyes would call the press and reveal there had been another crime committed. Whether they knew just what the two Master Sergeants unit was. Just how soon was he going to have to comment on the crime, his men, and everything else.

Oh-so-slightly he glanced back at his fellow colonel, who was in a heated discussion with the other operator. He felt a tirade of emotions: envy, jealously, and irritation.

Sanderson wouldn't have to report to the press, he'd report to Washington.

Sanderson's men under no circumstance would be given up to the public, they were to remain unknown. The government didn't officially recognize their unit, which meant Steele would be taking the media attention.

Years ago he couldn't have been bothered with the former operator. But suddenly he was jealous of Sanderson not having to go through the bureaucracy that he did.

Sanderson didn't have to worry about half the number of men and women that he did. Sanderson didn't have to worry about his wife sneaking around on him, or spending obscene amounts of money.

The man's life had been completely destroyed years ago, and even then Steele hadn't wanted to be in his shoes.

He opened the front door of the small police station and informed Eversman, "We'll discuss this elsewhere."

For an entire heartbeat Eversman paused as he led his wife out of the sanitized building. It wasn't long, nor was it a short time. He paused and held the gaze of the base commander.

All trace of the young Ranger from Somalia was gone.

Steele couldn't see a hint of the obedient and trusting young man from his past. It had been devoured by a powerful and knowing man, it showed in his deep brown eyes.

It reminded him of a man from his past, a man long gone: but a man who'd had an impact on the former Ranger.

In a tone that had deepened since he'd last seen the man, there was no hint of submission to a higher rank, or even trust: the voice was almost challenging, "Yes sir."

Steele could see Eversman was no longer the young man he remembered. Now in his late twenties, close to thirty, he was in his prime and working in a job that demanded more from him then Steele even wanted to consider. He was what young boys who played G.I. Joe idolized.

At that Eversman tugged his wife close and lead her to the Explorer that belonged to Steele.

Steele's eyes darted upward briefly and then he followed the married couple to his SUV.

Both Sanderson and the Master Sergeant under his command strolled out the door and spotted the women in their lives immediately.

For the first time Master Sergeant VanBlack laid eyes upon the children of his girlfriend. The children he had not been allowed to meet previously. Granted the sleeping child was in the arms of the colonel's wife: it was still the flesh and blood of the woman he was crazy about.

Sanderson grabbed the man's arm and ordered, "Go get in the Explorer with Eversman and my sister, now."

"But sir, please, I have to talk to her…I didn't even know who her husband was. Sir she never told me. I have to go make this right with her. I love her."

His heart bled for the man. Really it did. But, he needed to keep things calm until they got back to base.

"Look, VanBlack, I get it and I honestly understand how you are feeling. But not know, go get in the car and let her calm down."

VanBlack began to argue.

Finally Sanderson told him, "Garren, go get in the SUV, now, that is an order."

Dark eyes glared at Sanderson and he didn't back down.

"Now Garren."

With one look at Angela as she took her last child and put her in the car. Garren mouthed _call me_ and then followed Sanderson's order.

Once the operator was in the Ford, Sanderson then walked to his wife and placed his hand in the small of her back, she looked up into his eyes. "Are you taking her back to our house?"

Diana nodded, "Yeah."

He looked over his shoulder and saw the faces watching from out the front door. He then looked back to Diana and kissed her temple, "We'll follow you."


	10. Chapter 10

**10.**

**Col. Sanderson's House, 6ish in the morning.**

Jordan and Rachael peeked into the room where their Aunt Angela was, sound asleep with her three girls on a piles of blankets, sleeping bags, and pillows.

The two quietly pondered.

"Maybe her house caught on fire?"

Rachael scrunched her face up in thought, "Maybe. That would explain why Mom and Dad were out all night."

Jordan nodded. He then leant against the door and tried to figure out why their family never hung out like normal people. It seemed they only got together when there was a disaster.

He then looked back to his sister, "Think they'll come out climbing today?"

She shrugged, "Maybe."

There was a planned trip for the base kids to go out to the local state park and climb down to the waterfalls, led by none other then Colonel Steele's wife. It was an activity not only to get the kids out and off base, but also out and doing something energetic since it was summer. Put on by the officer's wives it was for all kids.

Both kids turned and watched as Diana hurried down the hall past them in a pair of maroon scrubs. She waved, told them that there was fruit and stuff to make omelet's as she hurried down the stairs.

Rachael and Jordan waved, then looked back at their sleeping extended family.

Rachael mused, "Ten bucks says Dad gets her to quit by tonight."

With a raised eyebrow, Jordan considered the bet. "Ok…I have ten on the end of the week."

**Downstairs…**

Sanderson leisurely sipped his coffee, having gotten off the phone with one of the wives. He couldn't remember her name but was pretty sure she had felt him up when he danced with her at the general's birthday party.

He scanned over the morning's paper for any mention of the night's happenings.

No mention of Eversman or VanBlack in the article about the attack. His day was looking up.

And then Diana ran through the kitchen, filling her thermos and grabbing a banana. In a pair of scrubs with her backpack over her shoulder.

Suddenly he was annoyed.

Calmly he set down his half empty or half full mug, "I thought you quit."

While she filled her thermos she grabbed the sugar and poured the creamer in the purple metal cup. "I still do call…and the occasional shift off base. Remember?"

"No."

Diana rolled her eyes and began to dump sugar in her cup.

He then told her, "One of the wives on the committee called. Apparently Steele's wife backed out of the trip…apparently her implant popped and she has to have it fixed, you're next on the list to take the kids to the park today?"

Diana nodded and grabbed a banana while stirring her coffee and putting the creamer away, "Not a problem."

He waited for her to add something.

Anything.

When she twisted the cap on her thermos and began to devour her banana, Sanderson finally added, "You were at the hospital all night the other night and doing wives stuff yesterday, plus last night you were up with me."

She stared, her cheeks bulged like a chipmunks from the banana she was chewing. She walked to him, kissed his cheek, said something and ran out of the kitchen.

Sanderson looked upwards.

They had the talk before. She knew she didn't have to work. She knew he would have preferred her to stay home with the kids and the wives. She knew they no longer needed her to work. She knew that he was more then capable of supporting all of them.

Sanderson knew she knew all of this and wondered just how he was going to get her to quit her job.


	11. Chapter 11

_Authors Note: Ok, yes I know, another crime! I can't help it, I'm a Criminal Justice Major! I can't help it. I'm addicted to Court TV! This will have other things other then crime, no worries. Anywho, I'm also exploring the character of Eversman as this fic continues, so share your thoughts!_

**11.**

Matt Eversman followed his petite wife into their small bedroom.

He had followed her from Colonel Steele's Explorer and into their house, around the living room as she paid the baby-sitter, into the small bedroom where their two girls sleep peacefully: oblivious of the night's tumultuous events.

From the bedroom doorway he watched as the love of his life began to strip down out of the clothing she had been given at the hospital. She all but ripped the clothes off and threw them into the trash.

It was only when she stood in nothing more then her bra and panties in the center of the bedroom.

Her dirty blonde perfectly cut bob in disarray around her face. She blew a few stray strands away and looked at her husband who watched her with non-judgmental brown eyes.

No words were needed between the two.

The pure physical violence and manly muscular strength she had seen earlier in the night was gone. All traces of that man was nowhere to be seen. Instead, there was kindness, love, and compassion in its place.

Matt walked into the bedroom and wrapped his strong arms around his wife. She fit so perfectly against him. A good foot shorter then him, along with a considerably less in weight too, compared to her husband she was tiny.

Closing her eyes she gave herself up to his warm strength and let him lead her to the bed. Very carefully he helped her on the double sized bed and swatted at the hundreds of dress pillows.

Before long he had the both of them wrapped up in a chenille bedspread that she had so meticulously picked out.

He buried his face against the side of her hair, softly kissed her ear, "Maybe you should take today off school and just hang out around here?"

The fact she was trembling was not lost on him.

He would have wanted nothing more then to stay at home with her, but he knew that wasn't happening. So he concentrated on comforting her while he could.

A sob shook her and she nodded, breathing in the smell of hospital detergent in his shirt.

Their clothes and car had been taken as evidence.

She lifted her head and looked up into his eyes. Wondering if he had ever killed anyone so quickly, so easily, like she had seen him kill of the attackers earlier.

Then, she decided she didn't want to know.

So she buried her face against his chest and closed her eyes. Ignoring the stiffness and tenderness of her body for that moment.

Oh so carefully Matt lay down and took her with him, wrapping himself around her and pulling her close. Softly kissing Lily's neck, her ear, her cheek, and then her lips.

Her fingers grasped his borrowed shirt and she looked up at him. Giving him a look he knew all too well.

For that moment he was still, knowing that she needed him: "Are you sure? You're pretty bruised."

At that she let go of his shirt and reached behind her, unlatching her bra, "Yes. I know you'll be careful. I need you right now."

**Later that day…**

Matt Eversman walked into his colonel's office to see Sanderson on the phone with someone, apparently not looking happy. He glanced up at the Operator and pointed to his chair, then held a finger up signaling he'd only be a few moments longer.

Matt closed the door and walked to the chair.

"Yes…I understand, I will speak to my son tonight. I realize that summer school is not a daycare…well I want him in there…what's the damage if he takes a few extra classes. Yes I know high school isn't college. Well his mother and I decided not to tell him that he passed math…yes, that's why he's at summer school. Go ahead, tell my superior, see if I care. And what is your name…are you blackmailing me? What do I care, my son's academics are quite strong it won't matter if he gets in a couple fights, colleges don't look at that unless they are a problem and from what I understand this other kid is causing the problem…yes…you know what, let me put you on hold."

Sanderson put the phone down, hit the hold button and looked to Eversman, "Be happy yours aren't in High School yet."

Eversman gave him a slight smile, "Is this related to work or last night?"

The two men were well aware they had to keep their working relationship at work, especially since they were brothers-in-law.

Their relationship had grown amazingly complex over the years.

"Last night. There are two detectives on their way over, they'll be up at the security office. Get a hold of my sister and bring her with you, I'm trying to track down VanBlack at the moment."

Seated rather comfortably in the seat, Eversman nodded, "Yes sir, will we be on our own?"

Two buttons on Sanderson's phone lit up.

Realizing just how much he hated the phone Sanderson shook his head, "No. Two CID Investigators are already there as is a Army Lawyer."

**Meanwhile…**

Lily scurried in the doors of the hospital dressed to the nines as always. As a business student she made sure that she always looked good. Always. Since you never knew just whom you were going to run into.

Into the hospital she ran with her immaculate makeup covering the bruises on her face and neck. Her khaki slacks ironed and her navy scoop neck shirt perfectly lint free. Perfectly proportioned blue hoops hung from her ears that matched her scuff free blue four-inch heels, which didn't do much to add to her already petite height.

She spotted Diana immediately and ran down the hall to where she was clocking out.

The night had destroyed her perfectly manicured hands, so with her trimmed nails she grabbed her sister-in-laws arm.

Calmly Diana glanced over her shoulder at the younger woman. She knew she was seen as a role model to Lily. Lily had a mother but there were issues. Not the typical issues between a mother and daughter. No, Lily and her mother were getting along great – they hadn't spoken to each other in two years.

"Diana…what are you doing? Can you spare some time?"

Swiping her hospital id, Diana nodded, "Anything for you Lily. Good job on the makeup."

Lily smiled despite herself, she then smoothed her hands down over her clothes, "Could you run to my school with me? I have to get my work and don't want to go alone."

Exhausted and ready to collapse.

Diana looked into Lily's eyes and knew that the young wife needed her. After all she was the colonel's wife and needed to be there for the wives, not just because Lily was family.

She could sleep later.

After all she had two hours till she took the thirty-something kids out climbing.

**minutes later…**

Paperwork in hand, Lily led Diana to the last office she needed to stop by. She came to a stop by the closed door and paused.

Behind Lily, still in hospital scrubs, an espresso in Grande size in hand, Diana munched on her cinnamon flavored gum. "What's the problem?"

Lily looked back and whispered to Diana, "It's my Algebra teacher…he's on his lunch break."

Oblivious to the students in the halls, the perfectly shined floor, or the soccer player checking her out, Diana blew a bubble with her gum. The sooner she got out of the college and back on base the sooner she could go home and nap.

Taking a sip of pure caffeine, she cocked an eyebrow, "So what, your tuition is paying his salary. You want me to kick the door in?"

Lily shook her head.

She then patted her perfect bob and gently knocked.

No answer.

Diana finished the rest of her espresso and threw the empty cup in a near trashcan. She then opened the door and pushed, making her way into the cluttered office of one Dick Cranium. The round Italian man sat with a mildly surprised look upon his face as he graded tests.

He sat up making the dozens of gold bracelets and rings glitter in the office, "Mrs. Eversman, can I help you?"

Timidly Lily stepped in the office, beside her friend and role model. Who was praying that she'd get a buzz from the coffee she had just inhaled. Though due to her line of work, it wasn't happening, all she got was coffee breath. It was then Diana dug through her purse for another piece of gum.

"Yes, I'd like the assignments for the rest of this week, I won't be able to attend class."

Mr. Cranium narrowed his dark eyes and Lily felt herself step back, "Please."

Diana sensed fear.

She looked up between teacher and student and loudly declared, "Now Dick, I have places to go and people to see, so step on it."

Lily shot her a nervous look and Diana met it with calm reserve. She'd met people more dangerous who were trying to kill her on more then one occasion, a Algebra Teacher was not on the top of her worry list, or near the bottom, he wasn't even on it.

"Where will you be Mrs. Eversman? You realize you could miss important material over the two days? Your college career could be damaged by your truancy."

Lily swallowed nervously, wondering whether she should fake illness or a death in the family. She didn't have to worry. Diana spoke up, "That's classified information and you don't have the clearance. If there is going to be a problem, please tell me now. Because if you're going to make me miss my nap by dicking around I'm going to be extra bitchy, if not, give us the assignments and let us go. I'd strongly advise the later. I seriously doubt you can tolerate me."

Lily shook her head, "You can't."


	12. Chapter 12

**12. **

Heels clapping loudly behind her, Lily ran into the security building after a big yellow bus picked up Diana and headed off base in a small caravan. Lily briefly felt bad for her sister-in-law, and then she headed into the building after being informed at the gate that she was being waited on for the past forty minutes.

Her blue eyes scanned the doors for the one she was looking for.

The guard at the door had given her directions.

He also spoke pretty good bad English with a really heavy Russian accent: she kinda understood him.

If that counted.

When she came to the end of a hall, a dead end, she chewed on her lip and paused.

She was lost.

Just how big was the building?

Muttering under her breath she decided to backtrack.

She backpedaled right into someone who grabbed her arm. Lily turned, screamed, and swung at the man with a tender hand, hitting him with a well-placed right hook.

It was then she saw his face, his BDUs and heard him swearing.

"Jeff! I'm sorry," she cried, rushing to her older brothers side as he rubbed his chin.

"Honestly I am, I didn't realize it was you!"

In the moment it took him to recover and look down at his little sister, he was glad she carried such a wallop in her punch. He forced a smile, "I'm fine. Come with me you're late."

She covered her face with her hands and then took his outstretched elbow, allowing him to escort her down the maze of halls and closed doors. Along the way she wondered just how she was supposed to find her way with the directions the guard had given her.

He had missed four crucial steps in his directions.

Her grip on the rough fabric of his sleeve tightened when Sanderson came to a stop at a door, before he pushed it open he glanced down at her, "Are you all right."

Naturally she nodded.

He reached down and tilted her delicate chin up thus making her meet his gaze. Making her be honest.

Quietly she whispered, "I'm a little nervous."

Seeing the fear and apprehension in his sisters eyes and knowing her husband had already given his statement again, and left after looking at pictures and such: Lily would be on her own, kinda.

"Lily, I'll be with you for the whole thing. The investigators won't attack you, they won't ambush you or anything. They just want to talk. You're the only victim to survive a attack and what you tell them is of _great_ importance."

She nodded that she understood.

He then added, "When we step in there I am not your brother. I am your husband's commanding officer. If they think there is any sort of conflict of interest they will as me to leave. Ok?"

Again she nodded that she understood.

**A little later…**

Diana climbed off the school bus with her near black sunglasses on, her third Red Bull in hand, and her purse over her shoulder after singing a rousing chorus of Cher hits for the thirty minute bus ride.

She was ready for a nap, or to kill someone.

The hot summer sun beating down on her as the dozens and dozens of Army Brats climbed from the busses only fueled her exhaustion.

"Mrs. Diana Sanderson?"

Diana turned to see a Park Ranger of about twenty years of age. Relief filled her, she downed the rest of her Red Bull, "Great! Your here, here are the kids, I'll be on the bus asleep. Do you need my cell phone number?"

The Ranger laughed and she wanted to punch him.

"No ma'am, they were right, you are funny. All our guides are busy today but here is a map of the Gorge."

Diana looked at the map.

With all its trails and whatnot it could have been a roadmap. She narrowed her eyes and saw warnings about dangerous wildlife and steep trails.

She also noticed the advisory about wandering off away from the group.

The Ranger walked off.

Diana then looked back at the group of almost forty kids, all-waiting for her commands. All of them between the ages of 8 and 16. All waiting for the Colonels Wife to lead the way.

There were two young wives who had come to help, they were busy chattering amongst themselves.

Diana looked upwards and then asked, "Who has to go to the bathroom?"

Half the hands went up.

She then asked, "Who here is hungry?"

The majority of the hands went up.

Muttering thoughtfully to herself, she looked at the map and asked, "Who wants to hike all the way to the bottom of the gorge?"

Every last hand went up.

"Of course you do…who here has candy?"

No one moved.

She the rephrased the question, "The first three people to give me candy and some sort of soda gets to hold the map and lead the way."

Most the hands went up.


	13. Chapter 13

**13.**

Angela walked from the living room where her girls sat coloring, phone attached to her ear where it had been for the past hour, and headed toward the front door where someone knocked persistently.

Very persistently.

A melody of hits from the 80's continued as she waited to get off hold and speak with her pilot.

The knocking continued.

Getting annoyed, she simply unlocked the door and whipped it open. Immediately regretting doing so when she saw who was on the front stoop. It was the person she had been ignoring. The person whose calls she had not been answering. She had ignored his pages.

"Angela, we have got to talk."

Not wanting her girls to hear his voice. Knowing just how close she came to introducing him into their lives, it bothered her. She thought she had known him. She thought he had been honest with her.

She had been wrong.

In barefeet she closed the door, phone still on her ear, she looked into his soft brown eyes, "What do you want Garren?"

Seeing the rather good-sized man before her with short hair, but not short enough for Army regulations. Dressed in jeans and a simple olive drab t-shirt that highlighted the natural tone of his skin. How did she not notice before? Desk jockeys were not built like football players. Desk jockey's had to conform to Army hair regulations.

"We need to talk…"

"We don't have to talk about anything. It's over. I told you, I am not dating another active duty soldier, especially one in your particular organization. I take it Jeff told you."

Feeling not only railroaded, but as if he were loosing his very soul. Garren stepped closer and she stepped back, clearly angry and hurt as his dishonesty. Knowing he was the cause did not help either of them.

"You should have told me. I would have been upfront with my work if I'd known you were his widow. Just tell me what to do, I'll do anything. All I want is a life with you and your girls."

Angela shook her head.

Wishing that her pilot would get on the phone already. She had made up her mind long ago she wasn't marrying another soldier. She had made an exception with Garren when she thought he did deskwork. She was not making another exception, she could not handle burying another husband. "I told you, I don't date soldiers. I don't date cops. I don't date anyone who I might have to bury and now you know why."

She began to head in the house but he held the door.

Seeing the muscles in his arm told her she wasn't going to be getting in the house. She turned and glared at him.

"Then I'll get out. I'll get a desk job till my contract runs up, I have a year to go and then I'll retire from the Army."

It was her turn to be railroaded.

Angela was stunned.

It could have been the horrible heat and humidity, but even she didn't believe that. She swallowed twice and stammered, "…Excuse me.."

"I'll opt out of my job and head for a desk. I've been doing this for ten years. I can fly a desk without a problem. I'll get out of the Army the first chance I can."

No longer speechless she hissed, "I don't want you quitting because of me!"

Not even flustered he stepped forward. As if the heat and their conversation was not bothering him with nagged at Angela. "I know how hard it was for you to get your job, don't quit it because of me."

He laughed and stepped closer, pinning her against the front door. He leant closer smelling really good. Angela couldn't tell what cologne or soap he used, but she knew she really liked it. She also knew he was distracting her.

"It was harder finding you then it was getting where I am today. But I need to know, do you love me? I'll give it all up without a second thought if you can see a future for us. Tell me now."

He took the phone from her ear and turned it off.

Softly she told him, "Yes."

Inwardly he was dancing and singing and screaming. Outwardly he told her, "I'm going to go speak with the colonel." He dug through his pocket and took a single key from his key-ring and placed it in the palm of her hand, closed her palm and kissed the back of her hand, "I live down in the second apartment building off Independence Street. 4J. I'll bring in dinner for us and your girls."

Angela looked at the simple silver key.

She then looked up at him, "We are not moving in with you."

At that Garren brushed his fingers across her cheeks and softly kissed her, "Lets just start with dinner. I want to meet your girls. I want to be a part of your life, their life. I want a family of my choosing."


	14. Chapter 14

**14.**

"Why is Diana passed out in the car?"

Jordan, Rachael, and Robin looked up from where they were making dinner at the stove, while Daniel crawled after the chicken. The three kids shared a look and quickly picked their spokesman: Jordan. Who turned to his Aunt Lily and informed her, "She's sleeping. She had a very big day."

At that Jordan turned back to the chicken breast he was boiling for the pasta dish he and his sisters were making for dinner. He peeked at the garlic Robin was cutting up.

"Why isn't she in here?"

The three kids shared a look and Robin peeked over her shoulder, "Look Aunt Lily, Mom is really tired and when she is really tired it's smart not to wake her up…she can be violent. Unless there is a big fire and a lot of blood…don't wake her up."

Purely stunned Lily stood in the doorway for just a minute, then she walked in the kitchen to her family, "What are you three making, it smells good." She peeked on her toes as Rachael moved.

Robin pointed, "Chicken and noodles in a garlic butter sauce. If we can find some cheese we'll have cheesy bread to go with it."

Chicken, beef, turkey, lamb and fish were common meals at the Sanderson house, no pork.

"Yeah, dad'll be home soon. He's going to change, he's got a press conference to go to," Rachael added, half in the fridge on the hunt for cheese.

**Out in the driveway…**

The day had been hell and it wasn't getting better for Colonel Sanderson.

Not only had one of his Operators opted out for Intel work. Two of his Operators were in the field and their objective was MIA, meaning that they had bad Intel, or they would be in the field a lot longer then planned for: his pager was on along with his cell phone for any updates.

Then there was the home situation. He had heard his son was trying to get a letter from the governor to go to Annapolis. He had heard rumor there was a Ranger hanging around his house. Then there was the wife.

He literally slammed his car door and stormed up the driveway.

Millions of things ran through his head.

If Diana would just quit, she could handle everything at home and he could worry about work. He walked past her new car and then froze. He almost didn't want to turn and look.

But he did.

He looked down into the drivers window, seeing his wife sleeping across the backseat in the scrubs she had worn in the morning when he had last seen her. Her nursing sneakers were gone, replaced with his sisters hiking boots, which he knew were a size smaller then Diana's feet.

"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I'm going to kill this woman," he mumbled. He seriously considered taking a pin from his uniform and using it to pick the car door, which was locked.

He didn't have anything on him to pick the lock. So he knocked on the window. He knocked and knocked and knocked.

He could see she was breathing, she even rolled over onto her side to get more comfortable.

At that he stormed up the driveway and into the house. Where he began to yell for one of the kids. He didn't need all of them, just one, and the car keys. It was Rachael who appeared with the car keys, "Yeah dad?"

"Why is your mother locked in the car?!"

Calm and collected, she replied, "She's sleeping Dad. Don't wake her up…we locked her in so no one would violate her."

Sanderson took the key ring and Rachael grabbed his wrist with her smaller hand. She looked up at him with her father's brown eyes and called him Dad, "Dad, listen, she sleeps good in the car. Everything is fine in here. You got to get used to the way things run since you're gonna be home more often. Plus…she's going to be really sore. She was chasing the kids all over, up and down the gorge today, and is crashing from a major caffeine and sugar buzz."

Softly he told her, "Things change."

The pictures on the wall of the hall were more the symbolic of that. Wedding pictures from the first weddings of not just Sanderson and Diana, but friends who were long gone, or with someone else: and then the more recent wedding pictures.

"Excluding mom's ability to get super pissed off."

He smiled and tugged on her hand, "Come on, you can hold the front door open for me."

**The Kitchen…**

With Diana on the bed and her feet freed from their prisons, Sanderson dug around under the kitchen sink for the "Goody Box" for some stuff to put on the open blisters. "Has Diana unpacked her box yet…or did you guys move it?"

Jordan looked to Robin while he cut up the cooked chicken breast.

She shrugged, and looked to Alexandria, "Check the bathroom."

From under the sink came, "I just looked there."

The phone rang, with garlic infused olive oil coated fingers, Robin picked it up, "Colonel Sanderson Residence…"

Jordan examined what appeared to be a bone, and tossed it in the trash, "Dad, there is some stuff in her backpack. I think it's on the couch."

Muttering what sounded like Spanish, Sanderson crawled out from the cramped sink managing to overhear Robin's puzzled voice.

"No, they don't live here. Who is this…uh-huh, no she's in bed would you like to talk to her husband…the colonel…how'd you get this number?"

_Who is it?_ He mouthed to Robin, stepping over Daniel.

She shrugged, then informed the caller, "Well that's none of your business dude…" Her mouth dropped and Sanderson took the phone from her hand, clearly outraged she hissed, "What an ass. We should get caller ID."

Sanderson put the phone to his ear and quickly walked from the kitchen, into the almost unpacked massive living room. Which was open with the kitchen in the quite large house.

"Who is this?"

On the other end there was a pause, and then the person hung up. Sanderson looked at the phone, and then Hoot's oldest daughter, "Who was it? What'd they want?"

She waved her smelly hands and went back to mashing the garlic oil in the bowl with her fingertips, "I have no clue. He wanted to talk to Aunt Lily, he knew her from Home Depot. Then he wanted to talk to the other…well, he called her a…the B-word, so I'm assuming he means mom."


	15. Chapter 15

**15.**

**Matt Eversman's House**

There were kids everywhere.

Everywhere.

The street was full of children re-enacting the last twenty minutes of "The Last Samurai" with waterballoons. At first the mass of Army Brats had been organized, strategically so. After about ten minutes it had turned into a free for all. Several times he had poked his head out the front door, looking for the only two blonde girls in camo fatigue jackets that had come from his closet, that hung to their knees when he heard loud screaming.

So far they were fine.

They held one anothers hand and threw waterballoons at anything that moved. Once he was positive they were not being slaughtered by the Huns, he stepped back into his home. His little house and looked into the living area where his wife sat cross leged on the floor, doing homework.

Algebra homework at that.

"So…you were saying," she asked from the floor, glaring at her calculator.

At first it had been weird.

Being the only husband in his squadron to have a wife and kids in school. His wife brought home her report card to him. The longer she was in school the more he enjoyed being able to talk with her about real things. Not just about the kids, house, and Army Life. But about history, world politics, even science: it helped his marriage and deepened the relationship between them.

"Yeah he went to your brother today and opted out of field work today. He's now doing Intel stuff…he speaks six languages fluently. Your brother was asking if he'd be able to teach us Cherokee."

Lily lifted her head and made a face, "Cherokee?"

Matt nodded.

He walked to the couch that she was leant up against and dropped down on it, covering it from end to end. He curled his finger around her delicate chin and kissed her. Playfully she pushed him back. "Come on, remember last time you helped me study."

He smirked and laid down on the couch. Watching her study, "Yeah, Cherokee. He's having dinner tonight with Angela and her kids. He gave up his job for her."

With half her attention on her husband, she looked back at the word problems she had been trying to work out. So far it wasn't going so well. She chewed on the end of her pencil, "That was noble."

Matt managed a grunt.

Inwardly he was thrilled she had never asked that of him. Part of him wanted to ask why she hadn't, and the other half didn't want to know the answer.

**Meanwhile…**

Angela chewed on a piece if sesame chicken while seated on the steps of Garren's apartment building, she watched as he chased her three daughters around the parking lot in a rousing game of tag.

For the first time she had allowed someone to interact with them. A male, a father figure. Something that had never had and she had never wanted to give them without knowing for certain that it would be perfect. She needed to give her daughters a perfect childhood, she just had to.

Their giddy screams filled the darking summer sky as the sun set. In the distance there was thunder, which drew closer and closer.

They had uncles and a godfather, so they weren't without. But a father figure was something they didn't have. Something she could not buy them. But it was something she didn't want to mess up.

She could still remember clear as day the day she had given birth to her twins. A month to the day after she had buried Gordon. A month to the day that he had been put in the ground. Hoot and Sanderson had been there with her, Diana too. They had held her hand while she delivered both girls. When she had woken up Hoot and Sanderson each held one of Gordon's daughters, comparing the identical infant girls. It was Sanderson who signed their birth certificate. She had wanted a signature, a live signature. Gordon hadn't been there, so Sanderson had given her his name on the paper.

"Mummy! Watch! Are you watching!"

"Yes, Ping, I'm watching sweetie," she called out as her youngest got to ride on Garren's shoulders. Before long the twins wanted to ride on his shoulders too, the game of tag long forgotten.

Sanderson had been there when she went to China to pick up Ping. Diana had watched the twins in the meantime. It wasn't as if there was a shortage in men in their life. There was just no permanent man in their life.

Whitney ran from the parking lot, up the sidewalk, and to the steps where her mother was seated. Her pink sundress dirty from sweat and mud. Her blonde hair hung around her shoulders, "Mom…Wendy's not sharing. It's my turn."

She looked up with her eyes as Ping hopped around Garren and Wendy, now perched on his strong shoulders, patted his head and clapped from sheer amusement at being so high off the ground.

Angela wiped some dirt from her daughters face, "Sweetie, you can go next. Go down there and wait your turn."

She pouted and then ran back to Garren, as thunder rumbled in the distance. She then speared another piece of chicken and watched as her daughters began to bond.

**Later that evening at Matt Eversman's House**

Rain poured down outside as Matt emptied the tub and got his daughters in their nightshirts, their teeth brushed, and into the double bed they shared with more pink in their bedroom then he had ever seen.

While in his bedroom Lily studied.

About sixty naked Barbies and a Ken doll stared at Eversman. He turned all their heads around, then he hung up the bath towels and walked out into the kitchen to have the last slice of pizza.

In the process he saw the TV, which was on, and on the TV was none other then Colonel Steel and Sanderson at a press conference. While Steele was answering many of the questions, the other stood to his side, silent and seemingly distracted.

Matt munched on his cold pepperoni pizza and could tell something was bothering Sanderson. The man was there but his complete attention was elsewhere.

"I can tell you that the two servicemen who were involved are on desk duty until the investigation is complete," Steele said, then pointed to a reporter who had their hand raised, and asked, "Who are the servicemen and is there any truth to the rumor they are attached to the Special Forces Units within Fort Bragg?"

Steele shook his head, "I'm not at liberty to give their names during the course of the investigation. Nor can I deny or confirm their rank or unit designation at this time."

He then pointed to another reporter who asked, "Colonel, could you share with us how many other servicemembers were involved? There are reports that two women were seen leaving the police station with the two reported servicemen."

From what Eversman could determine, the conference was being held offbase at the police station conference room. He'd seen the room a few times before after the Ft. Bragg wife killings.

"All I can say is one woman was a wife and another is a civilian. I cannot release any names at this time though, nor can the police."


	16. Chapter 16

_Authors Note: Ok, a friend of mine has just brought to my attention that I'm missing a child, not literally, but in this fic. I had completely forgotten about in another Sanderson fic I had written. So this chapter will tie up that loose end. Thanks for the observation girly!_

**16.**

**Colonel Sanderson's House**

Sanderson got home late, around ten, to an awake house and a beeping answering machine.

There was a note on the fridge door.

_Ran to the PX. Home soon, we have Daniel and Harry, don't wake mom up,_

_Love your offspring._

A smile grew over his lips despite himself.

He rubbed his face and hit the answering machine play button on his way to the fridge, needing a bottle of Fiji water, something Diana had gotten him hooked on.

The first message was from Angela and was short and simple. "Hey, it's me. I'll be back later…or in the morning, the girls are having a really good time. See you later, don't wait up. Love you guys."

Finding a bottle, Sanderson grabbed the bottle, twisted the cap off and took a long gulp.

The second message filled the kitchen, "Jeffy! This is you? Right? I saw you were back in the country, did you forget how to use the phone? It's your cousin, Roan, call me!"

On his way out of the kitchen Sanderson deleted both messages.

He didn't have to worry about Angela, she was in good hands. As for his cousin. He really didn't want to be reminded about that. The last time he had seen his cousin was in DC, when he had flown into Andrews Air Force Base upon receiving bad news.

Before he had gone out for work he had gotten a call from Diana saying that she was working some overtime, helping ends meet.

On his way to their bedroom he turned the hall light off and the bedroom light on, while he took off his uniform, piece by piece. Hanging it up when he got into the master bedroom.

It had taken a week for the news to catch up to him. The fact his commanding officer had called him into his office before he could check his voice mail. He knew something was wrong when he was told he'd be flying back stateside within the hour.

Sanderson changed into a pair of blue sweatpants.

He put the handgun he always had on his person on his nightstand. Then looked around for a t-shirt. He'd wait for the kids to get home before he went to bed. He wasn't sleeping till everyone was home.

Diana, however, was sound asleep on the bed.

She probably would have been able to sleep through Pearl Harbor.

The news that she had lost their child had come a week too late. It had come from the commander while he was thousands of miles away from her. It was all he could think about on the plane trip across the Atlantic.

Upon finding his copy of the latest Alex Cross novel, Sanderson climbed into bed beside his wife. He pushed loose strands of hair from her face and kissed her cheek, his cousin's words still fresh in his memory.

They had lost the baby years ago.

It was an act of God, or something.

Roan had been there, he worked at the hospital and had told him quite simply, "_Jeffy, relax. She's fine and will be discharged soon. Just chill out, you have five between the two of you already, you can pop another kid out later_."

In his own way he had been trying to be comforting.

At the time it hadn't sounded like it, instead it had resulted in Sanderson breaking his cousins jaw.

He really didn't want to see his cousin again.

Once more he kissed the soft skin beneath his lips. He spoke words to her that he only spoke when she was sound asleep, or out of it. Knowing how she felt after the incident, and being unable to reach him for so long.

"I want another baby."

Silence followed his confession as she slept.

**Meanwhile…**

"Oh my God, they're amazing, Angela."

The three girls lay in three small heaps on Garren's bed, sound asleep after running around for two straight hours, a nice hot shower, and ten minutes of PBS on the small bedroom TV.

She smiled from beside him, watching her three sleeping girls in oversized t-shirts, "I know…you think you can tolerate more of us?"

She didn't hear an answer from him.

His hand roamed over the small of her back and pulled her to him, close, very close. His face buried against her neck and he kissed her neck, her ear, and whispered against her ear, "Absolutely."

Angela turned her head to look at him. Needing to see his face, to see if he was sincere or not, "You're sure?"

"Angela, I am more then positive that I want to four of you in my life."

Immediately, she told him, "Then I have to show you something. I don't want to surprise you and have you change your mind in the future."

A confused smile crossed his face. But he followed her into the living area of the small bachelors apartment. "You're not a man…are you?"

She shook her head and lowered to Venetian blinds in the room's only window.

Relief showed on his face

Then he noticed she began to unbutton her shirt, he then added, "Look, you've had two kids, stretch marks don't bother me. Plus no one has a perfect body sweetie…" When she pulled her shirt from her shoulders and he was allowed to see her without it for the first time, he fell silent.

The marks that dotted or lined parts of her were not stretch marks. They were scars. Lightened scars, but scars none-the-less. More scars then his body had altogether.

There were so many he didn't notice the fancy red bra.

Wordlessly he walked to her and kept finding more and more and more. Softly she told him, "I have more hidden under my pants, and a couple on the back of my neck, on the bottom of my feet and underneath my hair."

The shock was obvious on his face.

He met her eyes, "That's why you wouldn't let me take off your clothes."

Her voice was almost a whisper, "Yes."

Unable to imagine how they came to be, even though he knew. He didn't want to wrap his head around it. Finally, knowing he had to do something, say something, he kissed her. He took her face between his hands and kissed her. Knowing there was nothing that he could say to help her, comfort or assure her. But he could show her the scars didn't matter.


	17. Chapter 17

_Authors Note: Ok, this is just to confirm, all my fics are fiction, nothing in any of them (unless otherwise) stated is a figment of my imagination, and only the original characters belong to me._

**17.**

Every single morning at o-dark-thirty, Colonel Sanderson and his son would go out and run together. They would walk out into the dark brisk morning, father in Army PT clothing, son in a simple pair of sweats and t-shirt: together they would stretch, start out at a leisurely jog, and then run.

It was on such runs that the two bonded.

All arguments and differences were put aside as the young man worked on training his body, in the hopes of following in a path similar to his father. Who literally had done it, seen it, and got the t-shirt.

He would mirror his fathers every move from stretching to the warm up jog, neither of which his father did before his son joined him on the morning runs. It had taken him months to be able to run a single mile, in step with his father.

At the mile mark young Jordan would turn and go back home, shower, and eat breakfast.

His father would continue running until his ten-mile run was complete. He then would go home, shower, and drink his first breakfast: a protein and vitamin shake. Long gone were the days of running ten straight miles, then a hour long trip to the gym, followed by a nice swim and a large breakfast, and then work.

Sanderson wasn't thirty anymore.

His workouts were the same, just no longer crammed together in such short amounts of time.

However, when he returned from his run, something was different. A colleague, Colonel Steele, stood in his driveway, in uniform.

Sanderson came to a stop. Not in the least bit winded or tired, exhilarated actually. He could have gone another mile or so. Runner's high was a great thing. He ran his fingers through his hair, pushing sweat from his brow with the back of his hand. He expected something to be wrong. He and Steele were never close, never friendly, and didn't even have a very good working relationship. It was getting better, a little, but neither men had really forgotten the past. Their opinions of one another had long ago been forged.

"What is it?"

"The police, they want to question you."

One of Sanderson's eyebrows rose, he wasn't too surprised. "When?"

Slightly surprised that the other colonel had not asked more questions, though it took a lot to surprise the man of lately. "Anytime today. It's apparently pertinent to their investigation."

"Of course it is," Sanderson murmured, strolling up the walk into his house. "I'll drop by before I go in to the office." He walked away from the former Ranger and into the house, gently closing the door.

He walked around and into the kitchen where his son was making breakfast: eggs and turkey bacon with apple juice. It was a massive change from what he used to eat for breakfast: sugar filled cereal and soda.

Jordan handed his father a tall glass full of the protein shake. His own was half full by his plate of food. He watched his larger father drink the shake in a matter of seconds, in one shot and a few large gulps.

Upon spotting Daniel's Papoose from infancy, an idea came to Sanderson. A problem his men had been trying to sort out. "Is anyone watching Daniel today?"

With a mouthful of food, Daniel looked up.

He watched his father pick up the baby-carrier and looked over the pockets. There were times he wanted to know what his father did. What his training was like and even some of his missions. But he knew better, his father never spoke of work and rarely brought it home. "Well, Mom was, but I don't think she's getting up anytime soon."

Sanderson dropped the carrier back in the box full of baby stuff for a young pregnant wife. He glanced over at his son who ate like a ravenous beast, "Diana's getting rid of all her baby stuff?"

"Ummhmm, but Mom…our mom, got rid of our baby stuff. She gave it to Aunt Lily when she was pregnant with Cricket."

That tightening was back in his guts. The time window for him to have another child was going to end sooner rather then later.

"Dad?"

At his official title, he dropped the papoose and turned to go upstairs.

**Upstairs…**

In a freshly washed, starched and ironed pair of BDUs, Sanderson stood at his dresser putting all his buttons and pins on his uniform. His boots were so shiny a reflection could be seen on them.

With the same ceremony he did daily, Sanderson put his watch on, then his dog-tags which held not only the tabs he had gotten a few years back when he received his commission as colonel, but his wedding band.

He still couldn't wear it. He had never worn a wedding band with Humera, for work purposes, and still could not for the life of him. It drove him crazy. He wanted nothing more then some sort of normalcy, hence the weeks at OCS. But every time he put the simple gold band on his finger a feeling of doom came over him. People would know he was married. It was a hint, a clue, someone could hurt his family with that information.

It was ludicrous and he knew it. It was one of the few old habits he had been unable to break.

With a sigh he took the handgun from the dresser and slid it in its holster on his hip. There was another on his ankle and a knife in his pocket.

Another habit that was hard to break. He _always_ had to be armed. Whether he was going to the office or the PX.

With one last look in the mirror to make sure all the buttons, pins and uniform was in order, he grabbed his cover from the dresser and walked to the side of the bed Diana was asleep on.

The pre-written note in hand, he placed it in her palm and tied it loosely in place with a red string.

She never stirred.

So he brushed a few strands of dark hair from her face, made sure she had a steady pulse, and then he brushed a kiss over her lips and stood, ready for work, the police, and to collect his youngest for the ultimate bring your kid to work day.


	18. Chapter 18

**18.**

There was a knocking on the door that woke Angela up from her sound sleep at the very early hour in the morning. It wasn't so much a knock, as a pounding on the door. A pounding that made her jump, shriek, and fall off the couch that she was precariously perched on.

Landing in a heap on the floor, wrapped in a blanket she managed, "God I hate mornings…"

His strong hands cupped her face and he kissed her forehead, her nose, and then her lips.

The knocking continued.

"Be careful, you might go through the floor if you land on it too hard," he murmured against her lips. Stealing one last kiss as he found his pants and stood, pulling them on and getting them buttoned in a single movement.

The knocking did not stop, or pause. It was a continuous knocking.

It was then Angela realized that she was on the floor of a place that was not hers, she had nothing more then a blanket wrapped around her, at that she whined, "I am such a horrible person."

Quickly he kissed her, pressing his nose to hers, "You are not. We are consenting adults in a relationship."

She swatted at him, "Go answer the door! It might wake my girls up."

The thought made him run around the small couch and unlock, then open the door. Ready to give it to whoever was behind the door. While Angela looked around for her clothes. Wondering just what she had been thinking.

"Aren't you coming running? We go everyday."

"Give me a minute," Garren closed the door on the voice and went over to the couch. Picking up the shirt Angela had been wearing the previous night from where it had landed. He gave it to her, "What are you doing today?"

Having found her pants and shirt, she was almost in business. She snatched her shirt from him and made sure the blanket hid everything. "Work stuff."

He hadn't let go of the shirt.

Which made her look up into his eyes.

He leant over the back of the couch, closer to her, "Will you come over with your girls again tonight? We'll go to the movies. There's a family movie night down at the school. All of us can go."

She eyed him warily.

About ready to give in, when a voice filled the room, "Mummy?"

Angela shrieked, let go of the shirt, fell backwards and on her butt. Looking over to her daughter, Wendy, who had her fathers blue eyes and golden hair. The young girl yawned and rubbed her tousled little bob. Sleepily standing in the hall wondering where breakfast was.

**A little later…**

At the crack of dawn, literally, five Operators ran at a steady pace and had been for the past two miles. Matt Eversman and Garren VanBlack being two of the men.

There were a number of conversations going between the five men on numerous different topics. War. Food. Wives. Girlfriends. CID. The latest movies out. Kids. The new colonel.

As the small group neared their seventh mile, Matt and Garren's conversation turned to a subject both men knew it would, especially after finding out the identity of his elusive girlfriend.

Their path took them past the PX as Matt oh-so-calmly, as if he were talking sports with the guys in front of him, asked Garren, "So she spent the night with you."

The loaded question had to be answered with the utmost tact. Garren was no longer just dating a civilian. Oh no. When he had been dating a civilian it was ok, his biggest worry was keeping his job a secret. A civilian girlfriend did not warrant attention by the guys unless she was pregnant.

Placidly Garren responded, "Yeah, the little ones too. There are three of them…I still can't tell the twins apart."

Eversman avoided a hole in the sidewalk as the group crossed a street. The streetlights turned off as the sky lightened and the sun slowly rose.

"The twins are his?"

Garren didn't bother to nod, their eyes were straight ahead, "Yep."

Not only was she an Army Widow, which made the dating considerably more challenging for any Army Man. There were unwritten rules and codes one had to follow when dating a widow of your fellow Army Man or Officer.

Matt spoke with a calmness that could have been used while discussing what color the sunrise was, "Don't screw this up. I'll kick your ass myself if you break her heart, she's had enough heartbreak in her life."

She wasn't just an Army Widow, but a Delta Widow. Whose husband had been killed in action defending a friend, and had received a Medal of Honor in doing so.


	19. Chapter 19

**19.**

Daniel Gibson Sanderson was a lively little boy. He enjoyed bugs, car rides, and chasing Harry around the house.

Dressed in denim shorts with a striped shirt and sandals. He held the hand of the person he most idolized at such a young age. The only father he had ever known. Oblivious to the fact he didn't look a thing like the man he called _Daddy_. He followed the man with a large grin on his face, a matchbox car in hand, and worked very hard to avoid cracks in the sidewalk.

Father and son walked into the police station and to the front desk.

Daniel's eyes took everything in with wonder and amazement. While Sanderson got directions from the young desk boy, a college intern who almost spilled his coffee at the sight of the colonel.  
He then followed his Daddy down the halls of the police station. Utterly amazed at the sight of police officers in uniform, and a K-9 Drug Dog.

At such a young age he was fond of animals.

He watched as his father shook hands of a man in a suit. The men knew one another. He watched as his father acted comfortably, which assured Daniel the man was a friend, quite possibly another uncle. He had a lot of uncles.

The man, a large well-muscled black man with shaved head knelt down on one knee to be eyelevel with Daniel, which made the little boy grin. He shook the man's hand. The man glanced at Sanderson and then back at the boy, "You look like your Daddy, do you know that?"

Unaware of the true significance of the remark, Daniel looked up at the only loving father he would ever know, "Really?"

Sanderson ran his fingers through the little boy's dark hair. "A mirror image son." He then picked up the boy and handed him to another man, another cop. "Uncle Felix is going to take you to get a doughnut, ok?"

Daniel whipped his head around.

Looking into the green eyes of a wiry man with face full of freckles. Who smiled at the little boy. "Well ain't you a mirror image of yo daddy. You like doughnuts lil man?"

Daniel nodded, he was a big fan of sugary treats.

He looked back to his father and the nice man. His father smiled, "I'll be with Uncle Jon. Behave for Uncle Felix. Show him what your brother taught you last night."

With a face full of glee, the boy looked to the uniformed officer who balanced him on his hip. "I can burp the alphabet!"

"You can!"

As the two men headed off to the coffee room, Sanderson looked to his old friend, former fellow operator, and sighed. Jon remarked, "He is so his father's son, Jeff."

The little burps that followed the men only confirmed it.

Sanderson turned and followed his friend into his office. "He call's me Daddy. It's like a double-edged sword. I love him to death. I adopted him. But God…every time I look at him I can see Hoot."

Jon looked at his friend as he sat at his desk.

His office was plain, unadorned. Just work and nothing more within the walls of the room. He gave the colonel a look that was just as torn as Sanderson's remark. "You promised Hoot you'd look after his wife and children, I was there too. You two were always like brothers. I'm sure he would approve."

As he sat down in front of the desk, he sighed again.

"How is Diana?"

A smirk came over Sanderson's face, "Amazing as always. But…I'm guessing you didn't request my presence here just to catch up?"

"Unfortunately no. We arrested a man and got numerous items off his person. But a couple of the items got my eye."

Jon opened a drawer and took something out.

He set a file on the desk and slid it to Sanderson, who took it and flipped it open.

Confusion crossed his face.

Both men ignored the laughing that came from outside the office, along with the burps.

"That's Diana, right. I was almost positive."

Sanderson nodded, speechless. His eyes took in every last detail of the pictures. They were scenes of everyday normalcy. A mother and her two young teenage daughters shopping. It was taken at the PX.

"Who are the girls with her?"

"Alexandria and Robin…who did you take these off?"

Both men knew they were taken by a professional. The quality was amazing and the subject of the pictures was obvious.

"This stays between two and me while the investigation continues?"

"Of course, do you have surveillance on him?"

Jon snorted, "Naturally, twenty-four hours. I'll call you if he manages to get on the base, of course, out of _professional courtesy_."

"Of course," Sanderson remarked.

Both men knew it was BS. The only reason Sanderson was being given information on an ongoing investigation was because of the wife. Both men had been operators, in the same squadron for years, most of their careers. Both men had been very close to Hoot and had been there with him when he died. Bonds such as theirs didn't break easily.

Jon talked while he handed Sanderson a few papers. "The guys name is Randy Fowler. He has a record of domestic abuse against several women. But also a restraining order from Diana. He is some sort of doctor. Recently he was fired and never really recovered from a financial disaster that occurred quite a few years ago, around the same time as the restraining order was placed."

The recent mug-shot of the doctor that Sanderson was familiar with wasn't a pretty one. The man had been roughed up by the police. He remembered seeing something about a man leading the police on a long foot chase and then that led to a scuffle. If he was a betting man he was willing to bet that was Randy.

"Yeah, she dated him for a while before she met Hoot. He was abusive so she left him. He's an asshole."

"That's probably the understatement of the year. We had to put him in solitary because he was getting in fights with the inmates so frequently."

Sanderson peeked at the record of abuse against women, eight separate counts. Not included the ones who never reported it, including Diana, who had just filed the restraining order.

He relaxed in the chair and skimmed over everything else.

"He's getting released tonight. He made bail. So he'll be around for his court date."

Sanderson put the papers back in order and handed them back to Jon, "Thank you. Why don't you come over one night with the family? Diana and the kids would love to see you and your family."

The door to the office opened and in ran Daniel.

Jon gave his friend a smile and handed him his business card, "Sounds good. Give me a call."


	20. Chapter 20

**20.**

Matt Eversman and his three fellow Operators had a solution to their problem.

At any minute they would get a page for a hostage rescue mission out of a little former soviet country in Eastern Europe. A family of American's had gone on vacation and taken the wrong tour, resulting in their kidnapping.

Once their exact location was found out, they'd be gone.

There was a problem.

The family was a family of three.

Young parents in their twenties, who would be able to run, quickly. However there was a child. A five-year-old child with a broken ankle. They would have to carry the child.

It would slow them down. One man would be unable to use his weapon unless they could figure something out. That something came when Colonel Sanderson walked into the large planning room that the four men had been in all morning,

Daniel holding his hand.

The four men looked to their Commanding Officer. Who informed them, "If you strap the kid to your chest in a baby-carrier then you can have free hands. Daniel came to help. So you can rig a realistic carrier and decide who can shoot better with a kid strapped to you."

A _duh_ moment overcame Eversman.

The other Operators looked over their notes as Matt stood, going to his nephew to pick the boy up.

Ren looked at the paperwork on the kid and asked, "Colonel, how much does your son weigh?"

Guessing, "Around sixty pounds. I don't know. You might have to weigh him. Just make sure you put Kevlar on him and ear plugs in if you take him to the killing house."

The colonel left and Matt held Daniel, guessing his weight, as he walked back to his table, "This will work. We may need some parachute rigging and a really small harness. And ear plugs with us."

Daniel watched with great interest as he was measured and weighed by the men. He grinned to his uncle, "Daddy said I get to help."

**Meanwhile…**

Lily Eversman walked up to her brother's house and knocked on the front door. She had a big problem. Satan, also known as her Algebra Professor, had scheduled a test for that afternoon at the last minute.

She was freaking out.

She had no sitter for her youngest and looked like a rag muffin. Her daughter had on a t-shirt and overalls, no shoes, and one pigtail was higher then the other. All she had managed to get on was a pair of denim short shorts and one of Matt's t-shirts that hung off her petite frame like a sail. She had not yet realized the front had writing on it proclaiming, _People like you are the reason people like me need medication_.

Her usually perfect bob styled hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail, pieces of hair hung down due to it being short.

Then she had flip-flops on her perfectly kept up feet, matching her purple painted toenails.

Lily knocked, desperate.

Where was Diana? Angela?

She looked down at her daughter and was relieved when the door opened and a perfectly dressed Angela and her daughters came to the door, on their way somewhere.

"Lily? What's wrong?"

She hugged Angela and cried, "My stupid professor! Can you watch Jana for me? I have no idea how long I will be but…I'll be there a while…"

Angela hugged her and patted her back. "Go! We'll be fine, we're going to work and then to Garren's ok. Jana will be fine."

As Lily kissed her daughter and backed down the walk, she added, "Could you pick up Jamie after school?"

Angela nodded, "Yes, don't worry. Go to school! The girls will be fine."

**In record time…**

Lily ran across her small campus like a madwoman. Her flip-flops smacking the pavement as she pushed past students who dared get in her way.

Not only was she a few minutes late, she was parked in visitor parking, which meant she was so getting a parking ticket from the parking Nazi's.

She ran up the hill to her building, the math and science building, whipped the door open and ran in like a hurricane. Aware that her purse had belted someone in the head. She was too busy to care.

Ignoring the slow elevator, she took the stairs two at a time.

She almost knocked two people down in her flight, when she reached the top she slid but caught her footing, ran past the jock who was always hitting on her, and then bolted for her classroom.

**Meanwhile…**

The phone was ringing.

It rang and rang and rang and finally Diana reached over, grabbing it, she sleepily put it to her ear, "Yeah?"

"Mrs. Col. Sanderson?"

Diana was now awake, "Uh-huh?" She glanced at the clock and saw it was almost noon.

"Your son, Jordan Sanderson has been expelled from school for fighting. You'll need to come down to the office."

"I'll be right there."

She hung the phone up and quickly began to just grab random clothes around the room, that was until she spotted a picture on the wall.

Sanderson graduating from OCS.

She wasn't the wife a Sergeant, Master Sergeant, or Sergeant Major anymore: she was the Colonels wife. An Officers Wife. She had an image to uphold. An image that jeans and a t-shirt would not be appropriate for.


	21. Chapter 21

**21.**

Jordan Sanderson sat in the chair in the principal's office silent.

He hadn't uttered a word.

Once they started writing up the papers for his expulsion, he figured _what was the point_. So he sat and was silent as death. That was until Diana showed up in the office.

He was dreading her more then the punishment. Knowing she would have been woken up.

But when he saw what she was wearing, he kinda felt bad for the principal. She must have been awake. She had khaki slacks on, a white top and heels. She looked quite nice, but was no pleased. She closed the door behind her and before the principal could utter a work, she looked to Jordan and asked in fluent Arabic, "_**What did you do?**_"

His ears burnt with shame, _**"I got in a fight with a girl…and hit her. But the bitch was asking for it**_."

A perfectly arched eyebrow rose. "_**May I ask what you two were fighting over?**_"

Jordan almost looked away.

When Diana sat down beside him he told her, "_**You and Dad. She was saying you and Dad were having an affair before Mom and Uncle Hoot were killed, and that's why you and Dad got together afterwards. She called you a slut, so I'm not sorry for hitting her. She doesn't know what we went through. She's not even an Army Brat yet."**_

Diana rubbed the back of her neck.

She patted his hand and gave him the car keys, "Go wait in the car."

Slowly Jordan rose.

She noticed the bruise on his knuckle and waited till he was out of the office before she turned to the principal. She simply asked, "How long will he be expelled for?"

"A week, Mrs. Sanderson…"

Diana held her hand up, not wanting to hear from the man. She stood and left the office to go speak with her son.

**A little later…**

Diana pulled her new car in front of a small family house in Lily's neighborhood. With Jordan at home, waiting for her, she climbed from the car, having gotten the girls address from a fellow Delta Wife.

Kim and her daughter had just moved onto base a few months back.

New to the Army life.

Diana smoothed her clothes out and walked up the walk, her heels clicking confidently behind her. She came to a stop, knocked, and stepped back. Knowing full well that people were staring. She was notorious around the base and a favorite subject of gossip.

It rarely bothered her.

It was a part of the Army Life. Yet, when her children were affected by it, then there were problems.

Sounds came from within the house and then the door opened, a young woman with perfect blonde hair and boobs answered the door. Dressed perfectly and obviously aiming to be the best little Army Wife that she could be. She blinked at Diana, "Can I help you?"

Unsure of whom Diana was.

Which was the great thing about gossip. When there was no face, when it was impersonal, it was so much fun.

Diana reached out and shook the woman's hand, "I'm Diana Sanderson, wife of Colonel Sanderson, I wanted to come and apologize for the behavior of my son and to set some things straight Mrs. Denali."

Mrs. Denali was taken back.

But she forced a smile and replied, "Don't worry about it Diana."

"Actually, as your husband likely explained to you, I am Mrs. Col. Sanderson. You're new to the Army Life. Aren't you?"

She paused but then nodded, "I'm learning everyday Di…Mrs. Col. Sanderson."

Diana held her hands together.

She then said, "Let me explain something then. My son has never hit a girl and he will be punished accordingly. My son is the son of the colonel. Who outranks your husband. So your daughter tormenting my son about the memory of his late mother, is beyond highly inappropriate, not to mention cruel."

She laughed nervously, "They're children."

Diana was not amused, "I don't care. This is the military, not wherever you have come from. Our children do not play together. They do not usually hang out. Your husband is an enlisted soldier, and mine is an officer. For your daughter to bring up such a topic to my son, such a heartbreaking topic, it could be bad for your husband should his commanding officers find out, which is why I have not mentioned a word of this to him. If it happens again when my son goes back to school, my husband will be informed of this."

Confusion filled the young woman's face.

She smoothed her hands over her dress and managed, "I…I don't see how this is such a problem. It's nothing more then a little gossip, I'll tell my daughter not to bring it up around your children. A little gossip never hurt anyone."

Like her son, Diana was about ready to smack the woman.

So she decided to just be blunt, "It is not just gossip to my son. Do you have any idea what we have been through as a family?"  
The young wife stammered.

Diana continued, "The love of my life was killed in action. I'll never know where or how, they tell me it was a training accident and that's all I get. I never got to see him when he came home. They just gave me a flag. I was pregnant with his only son when he died. My current husband, who I was blessed to fall in love with, lost his wife the same day to a drunk driver. I know he was with my husband wherever he died, he lost his best friend that day. So yes, its true we moved in together. We have five children between the two of us, it seemed logical at the time. Just so you know, he waited the proper amount of time before he married me, out of respect for his best friend. Now I realize that all makes for great gossip, but out of common decency, I am asking you to tell your daughter to stay away from my son. I'm going to use my husband's rank and pull strings to get them in different classes, lunch periods, and such. Do your part and my husband won't have to show up here. Which is a very bad thing for your husband."

**Back at home…**

Diana opened the door to Jordan's bedroom and stepped inside.

The teenage boy was on his bed, looking over a book on none other then Navy SEALs. At the sound of the door opening he looked up, fearful.

Diana simply told him, "I've spoken to the mother of the girl. I don't know if that will help."

"Thank you."

Diana then added, "I have to tell your father. You hit a female. It's different then hitting a guy. I am not covering your ass on that."

"I understand."

Diana motioned toward the book, "If you keep this up, they won't want you. They don't want troublemakers. Felons are not allowed in the military."

Jordan let out a sigh.

He knew all that. He knew how close he came to loosing his entire dream in one instant. He knew how lucky he was that the MPs were not called. He had battered someone. Charges could have been pressed. Annapolis wouldn't want him if he had a record.

"I'll be on the phone if you need me. I'm pulling strings to get you put in different classes, lunch periods, and even activities. If you run across that girl again – turn the other way. Ignore her, she's not worth it."

Relief filled him.

The thought of loosing his dream was bad enough. His father would be no problem. As Diana left the room he spoke up, "D."

She paused in the doorway.

"Thank you…I mean it."


	22. Chapter 22

**22.**

Tara walked up to Colonel Sanderson, aid to the colonel, and waited patiently while he and an operator spoke about something she didn't want to know about.

It had something to do with the kidnapped Americans.

At the sight of her the operator fell silent.

The colonel looked to her, "Yes Mrs. Waters?"

Never anything but professional and respectful with her, which she was more then grateful. "Sir, your wife is outside the gates. She needs a word with you."

The colonel nodded, "Thank you. Would you tell the guard I'll be right out."

Once she was gone the operator continued without a break in their previous conversation, "So, we're thinking we might have to bring something to drug the kid with. Your son is noisy, no offense, and that could give away our position."

"Whatever you need to do. Have you figured out whose going to carry the kid?"

"Eversman, he's able to move with a child strapped to his chest. He's been sticking his weapon in the harness. We're taking your son to the killing house, just to let you know we remodeled some of the gear. Mainly Kevlar, a helmet and some ear plugs."

Sanderson nodded, knowing he had better go see what his wife wanted. She never bothered him at work unless there was a problem. "Good work. Don't shoot my child."

As the colonel walked off, the operator asked, "Colonel?"

Sanderson turned and paused.

"If, mind you _if_, your son is…upset by the gunfire, do you mind if we drug him? We want this as accurate as possible. Dead weight is a lot different from moving weight."

Sanderson hesitated. He almost told his subordinate _no. No way. Find another way._ But another life depended on the success of this mission. He blew out a breath, "Nothing hard. Give him something light, I don't want him sick or hung over. No shots either. Give him something in a liquid."

The operator turned, "Yes sir."

**Outside…**

Diana knew she wasn't allowed within the walls of the compound. It was encircled by two chain link fences and guarded by armed men.

Wives waited inside the first one for their husbands.

The guard was nice enough. He didn't search her or anything, her id was enough for him. The two waited in silence until the colonel walked from the building, a guard behind him.

He motioned to the guard, who stopped, no longer following the colonel.

Sanderson entered a code and then walked through a gate. Out into the parking lot where Diana waited by her car.

He kissed her cheek and told her yet again, "You are allowed in the welcome center."

"I know, I only need a minute of your time, a private minute."

Sanderson glanced up and the guard walked off, back to his post.

Only then did she say, "I've managed to misplace one of our children."

Without a hitch he replied, "He's helping me today."

For just a moment she was silent.

A quick moment.

She had figured he dropped Daniel off with one of the wives. Not a _bring your son to work day_. She pointed to the massive building, "Daniel's in there?"

The dead silence gave nothing away from within the compound.

Diana didn't ask for any more details. She didn't want to know. She knew her son was in good hands, and knew she wouldn't get the whole story if she asked anyway.

So she blew out a breath. "Jordan was expelled from school today for fighting."

"Fighting?"

She licked her lips, not exactly thrilled with the day's events. "Jordan'll be out of school for a week." He leant against the car and drew his tongue over his teeth. "Whom was he fighting?"

She took his hand.

Knowing it wasn't going to be a proud moment in his career as a father. Then there was his whole code of morals and ethics. "A girl that has been tormenting him."

"My son _beat up_ a girl?!"

It was suddenly hot out. It could have been the sweltering sun. The pants and long sleeve shirt she had on, or everything going on.

She gave his hand a gentle squeeze, "He didn't beat her up, he hit her with a closed fist once…"

"I don't care. That's not acceptable under any circumstance. You of all people should know that, and not be downplaying it."

With her free hand she pushed a stray hair behind her ear. Chewing on her bottom lip and looking around at the sparsely filled visitor parking lot. "Yeah, I know. Look, I've already spoken with the girls mother and the school. They won't be seeing each other again unless the fates deem it necessary. But this is a father son thing, you have to take the lead here. I'll be behind you no matter what you decide to do as punishment…just don't beat him up. Everyone's allowed one mistake."


	23. Chapter 23

**23.**

Quite pleased with herself and knowing she made no less then a C, Lily strutted through the hall of her building.

Life was good.

New purse slung over her shoulder, the old one still in police custody. Lily came to s stop outside the glass door. There was a heavy summer rainstorm going on outside the doors. It was pouring. The sky had gotten dark, and her umbrella was in her car.

Lily pursed her lips to one side.

Dare she wait it out? She wanted to get back home, pick up her kids, and hang out with her husband, Angela, and Garren before Matt was called out to God only knew where.

Plus it was only a little rain.

"Hey, Lily, wanna come over to the dorms? We rented "Steel Magnolias."

She peeked over her shoulder at the three girls that she had grown fond of. Three friendly girls from two of her classes. Occasionally they went to lunch together and a couple times they watched her girls.

Not that day.

Nope.

Lily was bound and determined to go home. Change into more respectable clothing, eat, and spend time with people she cared about. Life was good.

That was, until her name was called by the devil incarnate.

Professor Cranium.

"Mrs. Eversman! Could I have a word with you in my office?"

She ground her teeth.

Wishing she hadn't hesitated at the sight of a little rain. After all, it was just water. Now she had to suffer through Captain Tacky and his telling her she had a D average in his class, which she was more then thrilled with herself.

She turned and glowered at the man. Currently dressed in an orange tracksuit and his hundreds of dollars in gold jewelry.

The smell of his knockoff cologne irritated her. He irritated her to be honest.

She followed him down the polished halls as classes let out and people dashed for the door, dashed to leave and get to their cars.

With a groan she vocalized her irritation, "Could we hurry this up, I have things to do today."

The professor opened the door to his office and she stormed in, dropping into a chair in front of his cluttered desk. Which annoyed her to no end. Clutter just wouldn't work. She was a neat freak and her husband a former Ranger, their house was beyond neat.

She watched him sit down at his desk.

Clasp his meaty hands together and lean forward revealing a mass of chest hair, it billowed out of the top of his jacket. "Mrs. Eversman, I'm concerned about your grades in this class. At the moment you have a D and there is only one test left in the summer session of this course."

Not caring, Lily shrugged, "Well, I'm happy with my grade. A D is all I need to pass and will satisfy my last basic math requirement for my major."

She watched a smile cross over his face and watched to beat him to death with her purse. He then told her, "Well, depending on the grade from this test, it could lower your grade to an F…"

With the wave of her hand, "Oh no. I calculated my grade last night. I have a very high D, borderline D. And I know there is no way I bombed this test. So the only way I would get an F is if you messed around with my grade."

"There is always the possibility of extra credit."

Lily was confused, "I thought you didn't do extra credit?"

A small laugh came from him. Followed by, "For some students I do extra credit, for you I'd make an exception."

A feeling of unease settled in the pit of her stomach. Lily peeked over her shoulder and saw the office door was closed. She then looked back to the professor who handed her a card. "My home number is on there, along with my address. Why don't you come over tonight? We could discuss this over drinks and…"

Lily stood. Utterly outraged. "Oh my God! You sick freak! You want me to have sex with you to get a better grade!"

A small laugh came from him. "This is college, not high school. It wouldn't be the first time such favors have gone between teacher and student. You could probably even get your grade up to a B, depending on how…eager you are to raise your grade."

In a flash Lily stood and was halfway to the door. Seeing as the office was small it's was the quickest trip in North America. All while yelling, "I am so telling the colonel, both of them! Then I'm telling my husband!" She tried to open the door, found it locked, so she unlocked it and yelled as he approached, "You better pray to God he isn't in the country! He'll kick your ass!"

She got the door opened and stormed out.

Down the slick hall.

Professor Cranium behind her, protesting, "Mrs. Eversman, I hardly see the need to…"

She spun around and pointed at him, "Oh I do! If you so much as touch me I will kick you in the man-parts…dear God! What on Earth would make you think I would sleep with you! Have you seen my husband? Compared to you? Not even if you were the last man on Earth!" At that she spun and stalked down the hall.

"What about your grade?"

She didn't turn, "Fail me! I dare you!"


	24. Chapter 24

**25.**

**Later that afternoon around 4…**

Ranger Ben Rouze found himself face-to-face with his dream job.

Though his dream job was in the physical form of Colonel Jeff Sanderson, a very suspicious colonel who had what looked like a passed out child on his hip, sound asleep.

Alexandria walked up to her father and kissed his cheek. "This is Ben. He's going to help me baby-sit tonight Daddy."

She then looked to Ben, "I'll be right out. I have to go get my bag."

Ben found himself sweating.

Not from the heavy uniform he had on in the middle of summer, while he stood in the driveway. No. He was being eyed like he was a Communist in the middle of Quantico.

Once Alexandria was in the house, Ben began to compliment the colonel, who quickly demanded, "I want you name, rank, unit, serial number, apartment, and four of your commanding officers written down, now."

The colonel was giving him a look that was not friendly.

Ben quickly followed the order. He grabbed a notepad from his truck and began to look for a pen. While he looked for one the colonel checked out his tag, "What are your intentions with my eldest daughter? And don't try to lie, I'll know."

He found a pen and quickly began to take down the information the colonel had requested. "Well sir, umm, I'm going to help your daughter baby-sit the generals children, and then um…I want to date your daughter. My intentions are completely noble, I swear." He looked over at the colonel. Who promptly told him, "Keep writing."

Ben listened.

From his early days as a Ranger he had heard about Delta and the organization, especially Sanderson. He was legendary. The fact he was in the mere presence of the man was enough to make the usually smooth Ranger a ball of nerves.

"You do realize my daughter is fourteen? In twelve days she will be fifteen. But she is still my baby. Do you understand that Specialist Rouze?"

"Yes sir."

"Good. If you do anything, _anything_, to my baby, no one will find your body."

"I…I completely understand sir, she's an amazing woman."

"Woman?"

Almost done, it was getting really hard for Ben to think. "Girl…person. She's an amazing person!"

Happy with himself and utterly suspicious of the young Ranger that he had noticed hanging around his daughter, a Ranger that was known as _Playboy._ The young Ranger was extremely good at what he did though. Sanderson already knew his address, his serial number, even his entire chain of command and roommates: he just wanted to see if the boy was honest.

The front door opened.

Sanderson glanced up at his quite large house and saw his wife stroll out. She took in the sight and rolled her eyes. Knowing full well what her husband was up to. Her father had been no different.

In her nice clothes, minus the heels, she walked down the pavement to her husband where her son was sound asleep.

"I'll be in in just a minute. Specialist, this is my wife."

Ben stood and turned, having finished.

He first held out his hand, "Hello Mrs. Col. Sanderson, it's a privilege to meet you." He wasn't sure whether he was supposed to kiss her hand or not. He made a quick judgment and decided not to. Deciding that he would like to keep his teeth. Had he a wife that looked like the colonel's, he wouldn't want anyone kissing her anywhere.

Ben watched the colonel, a man he had idealized throughout his entire Army career suddenly become human. He handed his wife the sleeping child with care and skill. "He'll be out a while longer."

He noticed the look she gave him.

But then she looked back to Ben, "Nice meeting you Specialist. Have my daughter home no later then ten."

"Oh he'll have her back here by nine thirty, the baby-sitting ends at eight. I would say that an hour and a half in the presence of my daughter is more then enough."

The wife balanced the sleeping child on her chest as she headed back in the house, "Sounds good to me. Dinner's almost done, so cut short the threats."

Ben watched her carry the little boy into the house, and jumped at the colonel's voice, "Quit eye-balling my wife."

His attention went back to the colonel, "Yes sir."

Thoughtfully Sanderson told the young Ranger, "You will have my daughter home not a minute after nine thirty. If nine thirty-one rolls around, there will be hell to pay and you will never see that Ranger Tab again."

Before Sanderson could add anything else Alexandria came out of the house. A denim bag on her arm. She kissed her father's cheek, "See you later Daddy." He returned her chaste kiss and gave Ben a warning look.


	25. Chapter 25

**25.**

**Later that afternoon around 4…**

Ranger Ben Rouze found himself face-to-face with his dream job.

Though his dream job was in the physical form of Colonel Jeff Sanderson, a very suspicious colonel who had what looked like a passed out child on his hip, sound asleep.

Alexandria walked up to her father and kissed his cheek. "This is Ben. He's going to help me baby-sit tonight Daddy."

She then looked to Ben, "I'll be right out. I have to go get my bag."

Ben found himself sweating.

Not from the heavy uniform he had on in the middle of summer, while he stood in the driveway. No. He was being eyed like he was a Communist in the middle of Quantico.

Once Alexandria was in the house, Ben began to compliment the colonel, who quickly demanded, "I want you name, rank, unit, serial number, apartment, and four of your commanding officers written down, now."

The colonel was giving him a look that was not friendly.

Ben quickly followed the order. He grabbed a notepad from his truck and began to look for a pen. While he looked for one the colonel checked out his tag, "What are your intentions with my eldest daughter? And don't try to lie, I'll know."

He found a pen and quickly began to take down the information the colonel had requested. "Well sir, umm, I'm going to help your daughter baby-sit the generals children, and then um…I want to date your daughter. My intentions are completely noble, I swear." He looked over at the colonel. Who promptly told him, "Keep writing."

Ben listened.

From his early days as a Ranger he had heard about Delta and the organization, especially Sanderson. He was legendary. The fact he was in the mere presence of the man was enough to make the usually smooth Ranger a ball of nerves.

"You do realize my daughter is fourteen? In twelve days she will be fifteen. But she is still my baby. Do you understand that Specialist Rouze?"

"Yes sir."

"Good. If you do anything, _anything_, to my baby, no one will find your body."

"I…I completely understand sir, she's an amazing woman."

"Woman?"

Almost done, it was getting really hard for Ben to think. "Girl…person. She's an amazing person!"

Happy with himself and utterly suspicious of the young Ranger that he had noticed hanging around his daughter, a Ranger that was known as _Playboy._ The young Ranger was extremely good at what he did though. Sanderson already knew his address, his serial number, even his entire chain of command and roommates: he just wanted to see if the boy was honest.

The front door opened.

Sanderson glanced up at his quite large house and saw his wife stroll out. She took in the sight and rolled her eyes. Knowing full well what her husband was up to. Her father had been no different.

In her nice clothes, minus the heels, she walked down the pavement to her husband where her son was sound asleep.

"I'll be in in just a minute. Specialist, this is my wife."

Ben stood and turned, having finished.

He first held out his hand, "Hello Mrs. Col. Sanderson, it's a privilege to meet you." He wasn't sure whether he was supposed to kiss her hand or not. He made a quick judgment and decided not to. Deciding that he would like to keep his teeth. Had he a wife that looked like the colonel's, he wouldn't want anyone kissing her anywhere.

Ben watched the colonel, a man he had idealized throughout his entire Army career suddenly become human. He handed his wife the sleeping child with care and skill. "He'll be out a while longer."

He noticed the look she gave him.

But then she looked back to Ben, "Nice meeting you Specialist. Have my daughter home no later then ten."

"Oh he'll have her back here by 2130, the babysitting ends at 2000 hours. I would say that an hour and a half in the presence of my daughter is more then enough."

The wife balanced the sleeping child on her chest as she headed back in the house, "Sounds good to me. Dinner's almost done, so cut short the threats."

Ben watched her carry the little boy into the house, and jumped at the colonel's voice, "Quit eye-balling my wife."

His attention went back to the colonel, "Yes sir."

Thoughtfully Sanderson told the young Ranger, "You will have my daughter home not a minute after 2130. If 2131 rolls around, there will be hell to pay and you will never see that Ranger Tab again."

Before Sanderson could add anything else Alexandria came out of the house. A denim bag on her arm. She kissed her father's cheek, "See you later Daddy." He returned her chaste kiss and gave Ben a warning look.


	26. Chapter 26

**26.**

Still dressed in his BDUs and utterly exhausted from his day and fatherly duties which had piled on top of another when he stepped foot inside the house.

Not only did he have to call three of his Operators on their time off. Someone had to keep an eye on the Ranger and his daughter. Plus it was always good to practice recon work in suburban areas. Then it was off to the upstairs bedroom to talk with his son about women. After that dinner was done and the family got together, then it was bath-time for Daniel, which he was excluded from. Diana got Daniel in the tub to get the paint off him, while Sanderson and Rachael went to go catch Harry, who escaped from his pen. After that it was homework time. Followed by quality quiet time…and then 2120 rolled around.

At 2125 Ranger Rouze pulled into the driveway.

Once all five children were safety tucked inside the rather large home, and Sanderson bid farewell to his little spies. He locked up the house like Fort Knox in order to keep Daniel in, who had learned how to not only work deadbolts, but move furniture.

Only when everything was complete, locked, and home did he walk into his bedroom and collapse on his bed, still in his BDUs that he had started the day in.

From the bathroom came, "Did Lily get in touch with Matt?"

He was too exhausted to move.

"No. He's out on assignment. Colonel Steele is raising hell as we speak on the phone. Apparently there were a couple other wives who had been propositioned by the man. I'll go down tomorrow."

Diana made a noise of encouragement, then spat out something in the sink. She pointed a foamy toothbrush through the door, a few moments later she managed, "He was a disgusting little man anyway. Under the "not if he was the last man on earth" category."

Sanderson was tired and he knew he had one last thing to do. Convince the wife to quit her job.

Combat was easier.

"That's nice to know…what do you think of Ranger boy?"

He could hear her brushing her hair. But didn't have the will to move. Plus, there was a good chance he'd be banished to the couch. So he wanted to enjoy the bed as long as possible.

"Eh. Ali told me she doesn't know. She's giving it a week before he gets bored or frustrated and runs off with a Ranger Groupie."

Knowing his daughter had such knowledge of men made him cringe. He covered his face with his hands and groaned aloud.

He heard her set the hair brush down, turn off the bathroom light, and then turn the fan on. When he lifted his hands his heartbeat kicked up and blood traveled south. Propping himself up onto his elbows, his eyes followed his wife around the room, "Am I getting some tonight?"

Confused, Diana looked down at her clothes while putting clean clothes away.

Her sleeping clothes were in need of washing. Her clothes always took a backseat to Sanderson's and the kids in the washing. Which left her with the bottom of the drawer clothes. Super short booty shorts that had _Hooah_ across to butt. Then there was the shirt…which was a basic baby-doll style shirt, but so old it was practically transparent.

Not even in the mood to be feisty, she continued to put clothes away, "Oh probably. But take all your guns and knives off. I only want to feel one gun tonight. Baby…why do we need all thirteen guns in the house?"

As he quickly pulled his weapons off and set them on the nightstand, he replied, "Home protection."

Diana rolled her eyes, but continued her folding and storing. Under her breath she murmured, "Well, when North Carolina decides to invade, we'll be set."

"What was that?"

With a bump of her hip the drawer was closed, "Oh. I have to go down to Rachael's Summer Camp tomorrow. Apparently her plans for world domination are concerning the head of the camp."

While he disarmed his BDUs, he groaned, "Didn't you tell him that she just has really high ambitions for someone so young?"

She gave him a smile.

Then pulled a G.I. Joe from his sock drawer and placed it on the top of the dresser. "I'll mention that."

**Later that evening…**

Angela lay sound asleep on the couch in what could have been either a colonial nightgown, or a white undershirt for a giant. A shirt that reached her calf when she stood.

When Garren was absolutely positive she was asleep he reached around the floor.

Not daring to move.

He'd learned she would wake at the simplest movement. At first it had hampered his ability to do his job. However, he was growing rather fond of his job. The perks were getting better and better. But the line between work and what was real was getting really blurry.

His hand patted around for his cell phone. He found it. Pulled it from the pocket under the couch and flipped it open.

The sleeping woman didn't so much as stir. Yet, he couldn't take any chances. When the phone began to ring and someone answered it, he spoke in rapid Chinese, knowing that the sleeping woman could wake. He knew she was fluent in French, German, and possibly other languages. He prayed she didn't know Chinese.

He couldn't risk blowing his cover.

He had gotten in really deep and could not fail.

He gave his serial number and real name. Then there was a click as his call was forwarded.

Then came a very calm voice over the line, "How's the progress."

No names were used.

No casual conversation exchanged.

It was strictly business.

Watching Angela intently, he replied, "_None of the field Operators are the leak. I've managed to get moved to a desk. The colonel is clean and he trusts me so I have clearance. I'll know more after a day or so more. One Lee Howell may be the leak_."

She didn't so much as stir.

Not at the movement from him talking, nor at the foreign language he spoke.

His commanding officer then inquired, "How's your cover?"

The question implied so much.

He'd been under for almost three years. He'd had to go through Selection, training, and even out in the field. He was essentially an Operator, not why he originally joined the Army. But he had formed friendships and enemies. It asked if he was ok. If there was a problem.

"_Solid._"

"Is the woman of any help to your investigation?"

He looked at the sleeping woman.

Unlike all the other women he had had on previous assignments, he was really hoping it worked. But he wasn't who she thought he was. He was not who he pretended to be. If she only knew.

"_I'll contact you when I know more_." He closed the phone and hid it back in the couch. Then he looked down at her sleeping head. She looked so peaceful. Garren wouldn't have woken her. Garren would have let her sleep. Garren would continue to be patient and understanding. Garren would make her breakfast and leave more little love notes in the morning, while selflessly giving up a career in the Army.

He traced calloused fingertips over her pierced ear. He was tired of being Garren when he was with her and with her children.


	27. Chapter 27

**27.**

Oblivious to what was occurring above him, young Daniel crept into his parent's room, or the people he assumed were his parents.

The object of his late-night hunt in sight.

A BDU jacket with buttons, ribbons, and patches.

Eagerly he dashed to the edge of the bed and grabbed it. Elated with his treasure. His father wore the jacket. Therefore he wanted to wear the jacket. He pulled it on over his Power Ranger PJs. It hung off him like a sheet and dragged on the floor.

A worn and thin shirt landed on his head as his father murmured something to his mother.

Daniel pulled it off.

Annoyed, he threw it back where it had flown from.

Seconds later he heard his mother's voice gasp, "Why are you stopping?"

Daniel peeked up and saw his father crane his head and peek out from under the quilt. At that Daniel ran out of the room and into the hall. Off for his bedroom.

Sanderson let out a breath.

He looked down at Diana, who lay pinned beneath him, "My jacket just ran down the hall."

Her chest heaved, "Let him have the jacket…there isn't anything that can kill him in there?"

He shook his head and sank back down. Savoring the feeling and response of his wife, selfishly he took in every last moan that came from her. "No…you are so beautiful when you make that face."

Unable to make an annoyed face, the feelings coursing through her wouldn't allow it. She reached up and grabbed a handful of hair, pulling him down to her lips for a kiss, or possibly to bite him. She hadn't quite decided. It was too complex a thought for that moment in time.

**Meanwhile…**

Lily parked her car in front of Garren's apartment building, Matt's car still being police evidence was still a rather inconvenient issue.

She hopped from the car.

Looked back at her sleeping children, then she locked the doors. Knowing they'd be ok for a few minutes in the cool summer night. She then raced up the steps. Found the door where Angela was staying with her girls, she then knocked on the door.

Well aware that it was one in the morning.

She didn't care.

She needed girl talk.

She needed a female ear.

She needed Angela.

She knocked again on the door.

It then opened and Garren, who was wide awake looked down at her, being a good foot taller then her. "Lily? What's wrong?"

"I need to talk to Angela. Could you wake her up?"

He opened the door and she spotted Angela, seated on the couch, sleepily rubbing the back of her neck. At the sight of her friend she perked up, "Lily?"

She looked past the large man in the doorway of the dark apartment, "Can we talk down by my car?"

Without hesitation Angela stood up.

Garren watched her walk through the small apartment, the white pioneer style-sleeping shirt she had on slid down around her calves. She patted his sculpted stomach as she passed and followed Lily outside.

Half convinced all women were crazy, Garren watched the two walk down the steps, into the dark night. The two took a seat on the bottom step, where Lily could watch her car and sleeping children.

As if they had never been separated they began to talk, animatedly.

With a look around he spotted Angela's purse.

It sat on the floor by the couch.

Currently he didn't need to go through her purse.

Temptation however never listened to reason. It made him cast one last look at the two women. He then walked over to the D&G handbag. Which cost more then he made in a month. He peeked through and spotted the usual. Checkbook. Chapstick. Pen. Gum. Keys. Mace.

He grabbed her wallet.

Opened it and looked at her drivers license. The picture hardly looked like her. She could have been drunk or stoned in the picture, but he knew better. He looked like some sort of mob hitman on his.

He didn't care about the credit cards.

Nor the other cards.

He was looking for something else. He found pictures of all her children. All of which were sound asleep in his bed in the other room.

Not finding it, he dropped the wallet back in the purse.

Something glittered from the soft light that came in the apartment. He tilted the purse and saw it. The part of her she never spoke about. The part she kept hidden from him.

He reached in and pulled out a metal dog tag.

The brand new metal dog tag had belonged to Master Sergeant Gary Gordon of the United States Army. For a moment he was confused. Gordon had been in the army for years.

It was an authentic dog tag. Army issue.

"That was my Daddy's."

Garren jumped.

He spun around and saw the little girl, Wendy, he was pretty sure it was Wendy, it could have been Whitney. In her pink nightgown she rubbed her messy hair and told him, "Uncle Sandyson had it made for Mommy. They took Daddy's when he died."

Then he remembered seeing the bodies of American Soldiers being drug through the streets of Somalia in various states of undress. He remembered hearing that some of the bodies had been buried, dismembered, and needed DNA testing to determine who they were.

A lost dog tag made sense.

"She also got a flag. Mommy put it in our room over our bed. That way Daddy can watch us sleep," Wendy added, "Trey and Troy have their Daddy's flag in their room too."

Garren put the tag back in the purse and set it back. "Who're are Trey and Troy?"

"Our cousins. Their Daddy was killed there too. Aunt Steph moved but we see them a couple times a year."

It hit Garren.

He knelt down in front of the young child, eye level with her, "How much do you know about your Daddy?"

She put her hands on her hips and thought, "What Uncle Sandyson and Mommy told us. He died when we were in her tummy. Daddy always protected people. He protected Mommy and he protected Uncle Mike. That's why him and Uncle Randy died. Uncle Hoot died too. But they all watch us, Alex said so. Her Mommy died."

Garren reached out and pushed strands of hair from her eyes. The heavy feeling in his gut obvious. "Why are you up, sweetie? Did you have a bad dream?"

She shook her head. "Whitney is hogging the covers."


	28. Chapter 28

**28.**

Unable to get any closer to his wife, physically or emotionally, Sanderson brushed his lips over her neck and less the gracefully collapsed on her, somehow managing not to squish her. The gasps that came from his lungs were stifled when he buried his face between her neck and the pillow beneath her head.

"Ok, speak, lets have it."

All he could manage was a grunt.

She pushed strands of dark hair out of her face. Too exhausted to get a scrunchie. She rolled her head over and dropped her hands on the broad expanse of his back. Against his ear she murmured, "You did that wonderful thing you do three times. I usually only get it once. Which leads me to believe…something less then wonderful is on your mind."

At that he lifted his head and looked down into her eyes. Again, he kissed her in a hardly restrained manner, pushing her back further and deeper into the mattress and pillow. Knowing he could be more physical, more demanding, and more greedy with her, knowing that she would enjoy the uninhibited passion.

Agains't her usually full lips which just happened to be slightly swollen from the uninhibited passion, he told her, "I want you to quit your job at the hospital."

Then he was still as he waited for her reaction, or explosion.

"So you were bribing me with amazing sex?"

With a nod, he added, "That, and I wasn't sure how mad you'd be. So I figured I'd get you in a really good mood."

With raised eyebrows she reguarded him. With him mere inches away it wasn't hard. She reached up and drew her fingers through his hair. Tracing her thumb over a scar on his temple.

A sigh came from her mouth.

With his breath caught, he kissed the corner of her lips. "What are you thinking?"

"If I quit and become the Colonel's Good Little Wife…"

"Who are you kidding, you're never good."

With her leg that was wrapped around his thigh, she pinched his leg with her toes. Making him flinch and smile. Allowing her to continue with her thought. "…which I can manage. It'll be easier then working a code anyday of the week. Do you want to take on the full financial responsibility? As of right now, I'm using my paycheck to pay all the bills and yours is going into savings."

His answer came in the form of a kiss.

**Sometime later…**

Before he went to sleep, Sanderson always made a final look around his home, his castle, to be sure all was well.

He checked all the doors and windows and then he checked on his children.

The two oldest daughters were asleep in their beds in the room they shared. It looked like an explosion from some Paris catwalk. Fabric covered every available surface, there were sewing machines and manaquins.

Robin and Alexandria slept peacefully.

He then walked into his sons room. The door had been locked. However, Sanderson could defeat any lock. He defeated the lock on his sons door in a few seconds and opened it, seeing his son devouring a book by flashlight.

Sanderson flipped the bedroom light on and Jordan screeched, all but flying off the bed as he was blinded by the bright light.

The book that had landed on the floor – "The Warrior Elite" by Dick Couch, a Navy SEAL book. With a hand over his skinny, almost bony chest, the same chest Sanderson had at the tender age of thirteen, his son breathed, "Jeez Dad! Trying to give me a heart attack?"

"Put a red bulb in your light. Your eyes will adjust quicker."

Jordan narrowed his eyes. He then looked over his flashlight as if it were some sort of frustrating puzzle, suddenly annoyed.

"Night son."

"Uh-huh…night Dad."

Sanderson backed out of the room and then went to the next door, Rachael's room. He peeked in the room. Not having to have the light on to know her walls were covered with pictures of Warthogs – the fighter jet.

She was sound asleep.

Then came the room of young Daniel.

Sanderson walked in the room and saw the lump asleep on the bed. Wearing and wrapped in his BDU jacket. Hugging a stuffed animal. Unable to pry the sleeping child from the jacket, Sanderson pulled the bed sheet over Daniel and kissed the top of his head.

The little boy never stirred.

Completely content and happy in his bed, beneath his Pokemon sheets. The child had been happy no matter what. When they lived in smaller officer housing across the country, and when they lived in Georgia and stayed with his father's mother, Momma G, while Sanderson attended OCS. Then there were the young days in the child's life when he had been a Sergeant Major, during the hard times.

If nothing else, the child was pure resilience.


	29. Chapter 29

**29.**

**That morning…**

Colonel Steele watched as Sanderson took off down the sidewalk with his son, like they did every morning. Once the two men were out of sight he walked down his driveway, across the street, and up to Sanderson's front door where he firmly knocked.

A few minutes passed.

When he held his hand up again to knock the door opened.

Diana stood there in a robe that was huge on her. A robe Sanderson often wore late at night when he was chasing their pet chicken around the yard.

Diana pointed in the general direction that Sanderson had gone, "He just left. You can't miss him. Jordan's with him."

Colonel Mike Steel shook his head. With a pleasant smile he told her, "I actually needed to speak with you. May I?"

A dark eyebrow rose.

But Diana let him in and closed the door behind him. "How can I help you Colonel Steele?"

She motioned toward the almost completely decorated front room. The colonel looked to the wife of his comrade and fellow colonel. The woman had obviously been ravished sometime in the early morning hours. Her hair was more tousled then normal, there was the robe that was not hers, and then there was the quite satisfied and calm expression upon her sleepy face.

Steele sat down on the small sofa.

She sat down in a large leather chair that Sanderson had picked out for his own. Jordan and his father fought over it endlessly. She fit in it and there was a lot of chair left. It completely encompassed her frame.

Knowing that he and Sanderson were not close. There was a working relationship and that was strained. They did not see eye to eye on most things. Having Sanderson walk in on him having a conversation with his half dressed wife would not help the relationship.

"I'm getting a divorce."

Politely, but not surprised, Diana replied, "I'm sorry to hear that."

With a wave of his hand he replied, "That's not why I'm here. I…got a call and my sister has lost custody of her children. I stepped in and am in the process of adopting them…I have no idea what to do now. I don't have any children."

She blinked, silent.

Determining if he was serious or not. When she realized he was dead serious she crossed her legs and rested her temple against her fingertips. "How old are they?"

"I don't know."

Further confused, she inquired, "How many?"

"Three…yeah, three."

She all but rolled her eyes.

The sound of feet running across the floor upstairs made Steele jump. He glanced up and then at Diana, who wasn't even bothered by the noise. Instead she asked, "Do you know about when you'll be getting them?"

That he knew.

That he could answer.   
"My lawyer is working on it, within a month. Making it legal will take longer."

She nodded.

She was well aware of the trials of adopting in America. Which was one of the reasons she helped Angela adopt from China.

Before she could say anything the front door simply opened.

Steele's heart rate kicked up a few beats as he whipped his head around. But it wasn't Sanderson who walked in the house. It was someone else. A different man. The man spotted Diana and walked into the front room, holding the hand of a four-year-old girl.

Diana smiled, "Morning Juan, Kiki."

The little beamed.

Without addressing Steele, the Operator looked to the wife of his colonel. Sanderson's probationary period was almost up and the men were getting used to him, trusting him. The rank was disappearing. Rank had never been an essential part of Delta. The trust in your fellow Operator was far more important. Slowly addressing the new colonel by his full rank was vanishing, simply replaced by sir, or Jeff.

"I got paged, I don't know how long I'll be gone."

Juan held up a backpack and small duffel.

Diana nodded, "Of course, she'll be fine here." Diana stood and walked over to the girl. Briefly the two talked about Kiki and her Asthma medicine. Kiki eyed Steele as if he were Santa.

Juan looked to Steele briefly, then he knelt down and kissed his daughter. As a single father Kiki was dressed so. Her dark pigtails were lopsided and she wore denim overalls with a blue flannel shirt, sleeves ripped off, no shoes. With dimples like a cherub she giggled when her father blew a raspberry on her neck.

Juan Gabriel Sanchez held his daughters face between his hands, "Give me an Eskimo kiss, sugar-butt, then I have to go."

She gave her father the kiss.

He kissed the top of her head and then each of her cheeks, with a mouthed _thank you_ to Diana, he left.

Diana picked the little girl up and placed her on her hip. She then turned her attention back to Steele, "Find out their ages and when they arrive. I'll help, all the wives will."

Without shame, Kiki pointed to the ranking officer, "Who's he?"

Diana pointed at Steele too, "Colonel Steele, he runs this base."

She whipped her head back to look at Diana. Placing her small hands on the think robe, over Diana's chest. "That's Col. Tight-ass?!"

Steele blinked and Diana never missed a beat, "Yes!"

**A little later…**

Kiki ran down the hall to Daniel's room, the two were close. They shared many things in common. As Army Brats there would always be that to bind them. Along with their love of chickens, Frosted Flakes, and Scooby-Doo.

Bags in hand, Diana tried to open Rachael's door, found it locked, so she began to pound on it until it opened.

Robin and Alexandria had left, both had summer jobs working as assistants to Angela. Helpful for their aspiring careers as designers.

Finally the door opened.

Rachael peeked out and Diana told her, "Go get the air mattress from the garage and blow it up in Daniel's room. Kiki is staying."

Sleepily she nodded.

Sanderson was almost ready for work.

He was dressed, armed, and ready for action. All he had to do was find his hat and he was good to go.

For the third time he walked into the bedroom, "Diana…have you seen my cover? I can't find it anywhere."

Like always she was on top of everything.

Dressed, she walked out of the bathroom. In heels too. "Kiki has it. I'm taking the two little ones with me to Rachael's camp. Jordan will be here doing his SEAL research. Could you do me a favor before you go?"

Sanderson's next thought was _where was Kiki_, "Uh-huh."

Diana walked from the bedroom, purse over her arm. "Take Rachael and Jordan's door off the hinges. I'm tired of them locking them. Put the doors in the garage or someplace."

Unbothered by the request, Sanderson peeked in closets, under tables, and in the kitchen as she yelled for Rachael and the smaller children. "Also, I want to see a plastic surgeon."

Sanderson began to look in the usual hiding spots while she poured some coffee to go, "Uh-huh…for what?" The cabinets, under the table, out the window into the side yard, and then in another of the closets.

"A boob job."

He turned and hit his head on a small table. He whipped around, rubbing the sore spot. Eyeing her while she calmly drank her coffee. Two little people ran in the kitchen, one wearing his camo cover.

The cover forgotten.

"But they're nice and big."

She rolled her eyes, snatched the hat from Kiki and pointed to the shoes by the fridge, then she yelled again for Rachael, "Jeff, baby. I've had three children. They don't stand up anymore. I want them perky again. The gym has done wonders for my waist and legs…it doesn't do anything for the girls…Daniel don't put that in your mouth."

He took in the information.

Then caught his cover that she tossed to him as the sound of Rachael's feet pounded above them through the floor. "So…they'll be the same size…just perky…perkier, cause they are already amazing and stuff…you know you're just beautiful and all…how much perkier, not that I don't love them already and all, um…"

Kiki fought with the buckle on her sandal until Diana bent down, Sanderson walked into the kitchen, curious.

While she helped the little girl she told him, "Just stop while your ahead sweetie."

A feeling of tightness filled him. A boob-job meant no more children, which wasn't what he wanted. Not yet. Before he could give it a second thought Sanderson blurted out, "I want another baby."


	30. Chapter 30

_Authors Note: Sorry for the lack of updates, I have been on a diving vacation and just returned home last week. Also I have no idea about the family situation of the real Matt Eversmann so this is merely a work of fiction. Do not take anything in this fic as gospel. _: )

**30.**

**Meanwhile…**

Lily Eversman slumped down the hall of her apartment knowing she really needed to get dressed, get the kids dressed, and work on her homework before she went to her afternoon class. She also needed to do some food shopping and drop by the off-base library for reading material.

However, the first day Matt was gone she was always lethargic.

It had taken all her energy to climb from bed and go find the ringing cell phone, which was in the kitchen. It was ringing and ringing and ringing and was really really annoying her.

The sound of Sponge Bob Square pants came from the living area and she could make out the tops of her girl's heads. They were content and likely munching on sugar filled cereal by the crunching noises that came from that general direction.

Finally she grabbed the cell phone.

Matt's at home cell phone. She flipped it open and saw a number she didn't recognize. But, being the wife, she answered it, "Matt's phone, Mrs. Eversman speaking."

There was a pause. Followed by, "Hello? This is Mr. Eversman, is Matthew Eversman there?"

Lily ran a hand through her hair in an attempt to straighten it. "Nope, can I take a message?"

There was another pause and she began to go through cabinets to find something to munch on.

"Who is this?"

Lily grabbed a bag of Sour Cream and Onion chips, "His wife. Can I take a message? Name, number, and whatnot? I'll have him call you when he gets home."

"His wife?"

"Yup," she munched and took the bag with her on her way to the fridge. She opened the door and grabbed a bottle half full, or half empty, of Code Red. "Whose this?"

"This is his father Joseph Eversman. Are you sure I have the right number? I'm looking for my son, Matthew Eversman, a Ranger. Tall, dark hair and eyes."

After washing down a handful of chips, Lily addressed the Father-in-law she had never before met, more less heard of. "That's the one. I could have him call you if you want."

Again there was a pause. Followed by, "Your my son's wife? What's your name?"

She began to lick the tasty chips from her fingertips, "Lily Eversman. Is there something I can help you with? He won't be back for a while."

While she munched away she peeked out at her girls and sipped her soft drink. Rather curious about the man on the other end of the phone, a man that she had never even heard Matt speak about before.

"Yes, actually you can. Matt's grandmother is passing and she would like to see him…but…do you and my son have any children?"

Without pause Lily answered, "Ummhmm, two. Jana and Jamie."

The voice on the other end of the phone repeated the names as if he were trying to visualize their faces. He then asked, "Is there any possibly way you could perhaps fly out here, with them? We would love to meet you and the girls."

Lily's next question was, "Fly where?"

"We live in North Carolina."

Lily paused, "Where in North Carolina?"

"South of Raleigh, we're between Raleigh and Fayetteville, an hour from each"

**Less then an hour later…**

Colonel Jeff Sanderson had been busy, very busy, he had been on the phone to the Pentagon when he got word that there was a serious problem with one of the wives, one of the wives of one of his guys.

"Can't one of the other wives handle it," he had asked, hand covering the phone. His aide had shook her head, then informed him, "I'm afraid Mrs. Eversman wants to speak to you and you alone, she is quite adamant about it and is waiting outside for you."

He had blinked and then asked his aide to have her brought into the visitor area, he'd be out there in just a moment. Which was where he found himself when he had gotten off the phone with one of the General's who had been rather clear about wanting Jeff in Washington within a matter of days, and he hadn't been shy about strongly suggesting it either.

When Jeff found his sister she wore sweatpants and one of Matt's shirt's which billowed like a tent on her tiny frame. She had pulled her hair back. However, it was so short pieces hung down and from the look on her face she didn't care. He spotted his two nieces seated in chairs with their coloring books.

"What's wrong," he immediately asked.

Lily didn't bother to hold back. "I just got a call from Matt's father_. Apparently_, he lives an hour away! The man wants me to come visit with the kids, is there some reason that my _**husband**_ would keep that little piece of information from me? Is there a reason _why _ I should not introduce this man to his grandchildren? _Why_ would Matt keep this from me? Tell me you know, tell me that he's a serial killer or Satan, or Osama! _Please_ give me an answer!"

Jeff placed his hands on his sister's shoulders, glad the visitor area was empty except for a few enlisted men and his nieces, who were oblivious to their half hysterical mother.

With a deep breath he calmly told Lily, "Other then Matt not being able to face his parents…no."

A perfectly arched eyebrow rose, "_**What**_," she seethed.

Quietly he told her, "Lily. When Matt got back from the Mog he was different, a lot of people were. That changed him and his view of the world. Then when he married you and was selected…Matt reorganized his priorities after that and fully devoted himself to this life. His parents, who he loves dearly, he couldn't, he…"

"He couldn't face them after that," she finished.

"This is his life now. Matt is no longer a civilian. They are civilians and don't understand this life. Matt changed after that deployment…go see them, it will be good for them to meet their grandchildren."


	31. Chapter 31

**31.**

Jeff decided for lunch that he was going home.

He needed to speak with Diana. He needed to find a new battery for his watch, which was miraculous that there were no batteries for watches in his office, anywhere in his office. He also wanted to make sure his son was keeping out of trouble and possibly talk his wife into going to Washington with him.

But really, he was going home for the grilled cheese.

A familiar Jeep was parked in his driveway, some sort of clinic was taking place in his driveway. Naturally he climbed from his car and walked over to the driver's side of the door where Diana and Garren stood, a pale looking Wendy in the back seat.

Diana glanced up at Jeff as she gave Garren specific instructions on childcare, "…and after you do that give her the Gatorades, keep fluids in her, take her temperature once every half hour, at the moment the fever isn't dangerous, just give her some Tylenol to bring it down. If it goes up any call me and let me know. She probably caught a bug from some snotty nosed kid, the fever is the bodies defense so let it run its course. If it goes up at all to a dangerous temperature I'll call a doctor in the ER and get her in, don't worry, she'll be fine Jimmey. Just keep fluids in her."

The Operator let out a sigh of relief. He ran his fingers through his dark hair and then noticed Sanderson. He gave his commanding officer a smile, "Afternoon Sir, Wendy got sick so I managed to get the afternoon off…if that's not a problem. Colin said I was good till five and Angela will be back by then. I'll make training."

Diana merely glanced up while she gathered her nursing supplies and put them in her backpack. She then cupped Wendy's face as Jeff nodded knowingly, "That shouldn't be a problem. Keep your pager close."

"Of course," Garren then turned to Diana, "Thank you Mrs. Sanderson."

Diana nodded curtly and waved to Wendy. Both she and Jeff stepped back as Garren climbed in his Jeep, started it, and backed out of the driveway. Diana told her husband, "She started throwing up at her playgroup and Holly didn't want to bother Angela, can you believe that, so she called Garren." Diana shook her head and headed into the house, she looked back at Jeff, "Something wrong?"

He usually was not home for lunch.

"I needed to do a couple things…you called him Jimmey."

Diana shook her head and walked into the open garage, "Did I?"  
"Yes."

She shrugged and brushed up against her spotless car. "Must have slipped, he reminds me of someone."

Jeff narrowed his eyes.

He followed Diana into the house, "Who?"

She waved him off as Kiki ran past, chasing Daniel, a big red plastic bat in hand. Effortlessly Jeff grabbed it from her and followed Diana as she answered him, not looking him in the eye, "Someone I knew. What'd you need?" She dropped her pack on the floor and he put the red toy between the wall and him, blocking her path. She glanced up at him and raised an eyebrow, "Colonel?"

Knowing he was treading on dangerous soil, but also knowing she wasn't being completely honest with him, he continued, "You never forget a face. Who is he?"

She stiffened, not happy.

He didn't move.

Neither did she, not even when Daniel ran past them, Kiki mere feet behind him.

"He's one of my men. If there is something about him that you know, that I don't, I should know. Like his name. Jimmey isn't a nickname for Garren."

"I worked with him a few times," was her answer.

Both his eyebrows rose, "He was a Ranger."

She shook her head.

The answer made him narrow his eyes, "All I need is his name. You don't have to say another word."

She was not happy. She was super pissed off that she had let it slip. Diana licked her lips and watched as Kiki tagged Daniel and then took off running. As Jordan strolled into the kitchen on the hunt for lunch. Then she looked back to her husband, "James Al'Nassari."

That name rang a few bells.

Jeff leant against the wall pinning her in, yet, she didn't feel trapped, even though he was on one side and the red bat on the other, blocking all means of escape.

She ran her fingers through her hair and gave up, "Look, when I worked with him he worked with Army CID. He does undercover stuff. He's a great guy. Nice and charming. Whatever he's doing at work…he's there for a reason."

Diana then added, "He was at Hoot's funeral. I introduced him as Ricardo Dominguez."

The pieces began to fit in Jeff's mind.

"Dad? What are you doing here?"

Without a beat he glanced up at his son, who held a Yoohoo in one hand and a banana in the other, "Convincing Diana to make a business trip to Washington with me."

Jordan laughed and walked back into the kitchen.

Diana narrowed her eyes, "I have things to do here as _the Colonel's Wife_, incase you have forgotten."

He went back to he leaning against the wall, mere inches away from her. "That's the beauty of it. We can take the kids and while I'm at work you can show them the sights and go shopping. We can even stop at Arlington if you want."


	32. Chapter 32

**32.**

**Around Noon.**

Lily walked into the hospital feeling more and more nervous. She had just driven an hour and a half north to meet people she didn't know, people her husband had chosen to cut from his life, and it was just beginning to hit her. But, she was already there. Her girls were in their Sunday best and she had bought flowers and a card.

After all, they couldn't be worse then her parents. The Ice Queen and her Spineless Sperm Donor, as she and Jeff had dubbed them from a young age.

When she got on the elevator to go up to the ICU she began to wonder. What if they're serial killers? What if they are on America's Most Wanted? What if they don't like the girls? What if they're mad about not knowing us?

When she stepped off the elevator she looked upwards for help. Seeing the nurse's station she hesitated. Did she really want to go behind Matt's back and do this? Should she tell him? But, Jeff said it was ok.

"Lily?"

She turned towards the waiting area at the sound of her name. A couple sat there watching her hopefully. The man was handsome, in his fifties with grey hair, but he was definitely Matt's father. Strong facial features and a kind smile. The woman, obviously his wife was around the same age but blonde and young looking. He added, "Lily Eversman?"

Lily nodded.

Then they stood, smiles on their faces and lily knew it would be ok. Both of them quickly crossed the waiting area. Matt's mother engulfed her in a hug that literally took the breath right out of her, while his father knelt down to see his granddaughters.

**Meanwhile…**

Wendy was feeling a little better. While she still had a fever, it had gone down and she had been drinking many bottles of Gatorade. She was seated on the couch and wrapped up in a big fluffy felt blanket while wearing huge thick socks and a rather large t-shirt.

Having vomited all over herself and Garren earlier their clothes were now in the wash.

Garren looked at the thermometer while on the phone with Angela, "Don't worry, her temperature is down to 101 and she's getting more color. I've been giving her fluids and took her to Diana's."

Angela gasped over the phone, "Oh my God! Holly didn't tell me that! I'll be right there."

Garren looked at the top of her head. "It's quite all right. I can handle this, she is watching _Married with Children_ right now." He then noticed her bottle was near empty and headed in the kitchen area to get her a full one. "Finish the rest of your meeting up. Oh, and if you could…could you grab some Chicken Noodle Soup? I'm out."

"Of course. I'll pick up some dinner too so you can eat before your training. What do you want? There's a really good Moroccan place I can grab something from, do you like that."

He smiled and heard someone knock on the door, "Wonderful, anything with lamb."

Wendy peeked over the couch and watched as he walked to the door, but handed her another bottle of red Gatorade. She made a face but finished up her other bottle.

"Ok, lamb it is. Thank you again for doing this, you don't know how much it means to me."

He smiled, opened the door, saw his Colonel, beckoned him in and asked her, "Do you want to talk to Wendy?"

"Sure."

He handed Wendy the phone and turned his attention to his Commanding Officer.

Jeff closed the door as Wendy held the phone to her ear, "Hello?" He looked to Garren who addressed him, "Good afternoon sir."

Jeff smiled, "I came to check on the little one before I head back to the office James, you can handle a sick little girl, can't you?"

For a moment he wasn't sure. Had Jeff called him by his name, or was he imagining things. He could have sworn he did as he turned to get the thermometer to show Jeff, an experienced parent himself. But he paused, "You heard us talking?"

The colonel nodded, "Diana assures me that you mean no harm, whatever you're doing, and it's in my best intentions to leave you alone while you work. This naturally got my attention. So first, let me just ask, what is your name and rank, I'm guessing you haven't heard it in quite a while."

There was no anger, annoyance, or spite in his voice, only curiosity and compassion. Which relieved the younger man. He sat on the back of the couch while Wendy told her mother in great detail about her vomiting all over Holly, all over Garren, and then visiting Diana and the PX. "I'm a Warrant Officer in CID. James, James Al'Nassari, or Jimmey as you heard."

"So, Jimmey, what are you doing? Is there anything I can do to help. You've been here quite a while…and through Selection, you must be very motivated."

He smiled and ran his fingers through his dark hair.

Wendy handed him the phone, finished with it. He made sure it was off and held it in his lap. "There's a compromised person in your organization. This person is responsible for several deaths, leaking of information, and loss of weapon."

"Treason," Jeff added and Jimmey nodded.

"This person is responsible for the bad raid that you were involved in, the one that took the lives of Master Sergeant Norm Gibson and Sergeant Major Johnny Lee. That recent stockpile of weapons in the South Pacific that was moved, that information came from your organization and so much more. We've definitely narrowed it down."

Jeff became still. A million emotions were running through him and he didn't show one. Jimmey continued, "I've been under almost two years and have it narrowed down to the intelligence part. But…I may need some information that I haven't been able to get on several people."

Wendy laughed from behind the men and Jimmey peeked, checking to see if she was drinking from the new bottle. She was.

"Anything you need," was all Jeff said and all that needed to be said.

**Meanwhile…**

Babysitting had been added to the list of things that Alexandria and Robin were doing while interning and working for Angela over the summer.

Not only did they help her with the creation process, they helped stock the gallery, plan Angela's work with Holly, and go on errands for Holly. They got to see first hand the way design and art worked.

And, when Angela had meetings with clients, which needed Holly, meant Wendy, Whitney, and Ping were in their care: though only two were in their care that day.

Alexandria looked up from the computer she sat at while the girls amused themselves with Barbie's as her sister peeked in the office. "Ali, you have a visitor."

Alexandria made a face.

Robin made kissy lips, "It's your Ranger."

Alexandria rose from her wheeled chair and brushed out her white leather skirt, which only went an inch above her knees, her father had whipped out his ruler to be sure of that. She then checked her reflection and strolled out. Robin grinned and peeked out of the office, watching her sister without shame.

When Alexandria found Specialist Ben Rouze he was stunned at the price on a bolt of hand painted silk fabric. Dressed in his BDUs and the picture of neatness Alexandria knew something was up, "Yes Mr. Rouze?"

He jumped at her musical voice.

When he looked at her there was guilt, "Alex, um…I ummm…"

She held up her hand, "You got to go. You can't tell me where you're going or when you'll be home. You don't even know if you'll be able to call me."

He swallowed and remembered she was the colonel's daughter, "Yeah. But…when I get back, we're so going out for steak…you can eat steak…right?"

A smile crossed her lips.

In her small heels she walked to him and placed a chaste kiss upon his cheek. When she backed away he turned his head and caught her lips. Stealing a kiss. Which caught Alexandria by surprise, but she returned it, hesitantly, slowly, unsure of herself and her ability to kiss, which began to melt away.


	33. Chapter 33

**33.**

Lily watched in utter disbelief as Matt's parent's took to her children as if they had never once been seperated. As if they had been there since the day they were born. A simple meeting with a dying relative had turned into lunch in the hospital cafeteria, and then a few hours at the hospital playground to dinner at the local Chili's. During the course of the afternoon every topic was discussed. From Matt's Ranger days to his new job as a computer programmer, to the girls and their likes and dislikes, to Lily's own college education.

When Andrea Eversman took the girls to the restroom during desert, Neal Eversman took a sip of his sweet tea and asked the question that Lily had been expecting all evening, "Lily, may I ask you something?"

"Of course," she smiled, chewing on her cheesecake.

It had been so radically different with Matt's parents, compared to her own cold ones. His were warm and open and kind, not to mention completely patient and tender towards her children. Both of her children. They didn't seem to care that one wasn't their biological granddaughter.

The lively restaurant drown out their conversation and Lily was glad. Her father-in-law asked, "Does Matt ever talk about what happened to him when he was in Africa?"

She took a sip from her soda and shook her head, "No. He doesn't talk about work."  
"At all?"

Lily shook her head, "No. That is a separate part of himself." Continuing on with the story she and Matt had created when he had reached the status of Operator, she continued, "He's working with computers now and the group he's in has several psychologists working with the guys."

"Really?"

She nodded and nibbled on her desert. Motioning with her fork and being somewhat truthful. "Ummhmm. I think it's because they are all really smart."

It was almost the truth.

It was a well rehearsed story that she was well versed in. Matt's voice from that night was still fresh in her ears. _"You can't tell anyone what I do, you can't hint or even suggest, no one can know, not even our daughters. I'm a computer programmer now and contract with the Army on occasion."_

"He changed so much after that and we lost touch. He'll call on holidays and our birthdays, but…I miss him."

"Matt's an only child?"

Neal nodded, "Yes."

Lily reached across the table and placed her hand over his, "I'll talk to him when he gets home and see what I can do."

**Meanwhile…**

Diana stormed around the laundry room looking for her Tide Softner Ball. She dug through piles of clothes and shoes, and even came across a naked Barbie and three G.I. Joes. All of which were chucked down the hall as she swore beneath her breath.

How could she loose another Tide Ball? The things disappeared faster then the food from the fridge.

Annoyed, she stood, turned, and shrieked at the sudden sight of Angela. Diana covered her heart with her hand. "My God! Don't sneak up on me. My heart can't handle another shock today."

Angela gave her a weak smile and tossed her the missing Tide Ball. "Jeff just got home. Can you watch my girls for a few hours? Garren called and told me we needed to _talk_."

Diana made a face at her tone.

"Yeah," Angela grimmaced.

"Well no matter what happens you can stay here as long as you need."

Angela gave her a smile and then waved as she left. Diana opened the Tide Ball and filled it with softner, then tossed it in the washer and closed the lid. She then began to sort clothes into a new pile for the next load. Laundry was a never ending task for her.

The sounds of a house full of kids filled the background. Running and yelling of the healthy children. The TV from the older children and the sick one. Plus the smell of dinner and the occasional shout for her needed assistance.

As she worked on the sorting the sound of boots on the hard floor came. Jeff was looking for her. Which got her attention since he would usually stand in one end of the house and yell for her.

She glanced up as he appeared in the doorway and simply told her, "I need to speak with you."

There was no _please_, or _when you get a moment,_ and his face was stone cold. Diana dropped the socks she had been holding and stood up. She wiped her wet hands on her sweatpants and followed him out into the hall. Out into their bedroom where he closed the door, locked it, and told her, "Sit down."

Her eyebrows rose but she listened, knowing something was very wrong. She didn't have to be his wife to know that. Or notice the clenching of his jaw, the tenseness in his back and shoulders, or the way he refused to meet her eyes. His eyes looked at a picture on her nightstand as he seethed, "Hoot's death wasn't entirely due to a botched raid, someone gave information about our raid and he died because of that."

The anger that oozed from him was impressive and frightening.

Shocked and glad she was seated, unsure of whether she would have been able to support herself, Diana managed, "Who?"

He looked down at his hands. "We're looking into that. Whoever it is works under my command and will be charged with treason. I wanted you to know before they get arrested."

Numbly she nodded. She knew how Hoot had died, Jeff had told her. She knew that Jeff had been a hairs breath away from dieing instead of Hoot. "A spy," was all she could get out.

"No. A sympathizer."

Her eyes closed and she covered her mouth with one hand. A million thoughts running through her mind. Her eyes darted up at him. Seeing the colonel, her husband wasn't there. He was. But he was still in work mode. He hadn't switched over yet. In a voice as controled as his temper he asked, "I need you to think. Was there anyone, _**anyone,**_ around the time of Hoot's death that you did not know well, or someone who seemed to be too remorseful? Anything that was out of place then?"

She bent over and covered her face with her hands, thinking, trying to remember those dark days and nights. Back when all her nightmares came true. A ragged breath came from her and he fought every last urge to go and sit beside her. He would. He would he promised himself. But he needed to be strong for a few more minutes, just a little longer. He had to keep pretending that he was a commanding officer who was asking a widow for information. Which he told himself repeatedly while he clenched his hands, drawing blood.

Then it came to her. He could see it when her hands dropped, she blinked, and looked at him with burning tear filled eyes. "There was a man. I just assumed he was one of you guys. He brought me food all the time. He helped me with the kids till you got home, he helped me make funeral plans…none of the other guys knew him, and I just assumed…Oh God, he was in my house. He took me to the doctor. I let him hold me and cook and help…"

Unable to stop, he walked to her and wrapped his arms around her. He held her close and against the fabric of his uniform as she began to sob. She clung to him and wept.

**Meanwhile…**

Angela climbed the stairs to Garren's apartment, passed numerous men, half of which knew her as Gordon's wife, and the other half knew her as Garren's girlfriend, all of which waved and bid her a good night. By the time she made it up the stairs Garren was waiting. He ushered her in and closed the door. She pulled her purse from her shoulder and set it on the couch, "Is everything ok Garren? Jeff was acting weird too."

"Don't call me that."

She turned to face him, confused, "What?"

He licked his lips and prepared for battle, "My name isn't Garren, it's James. James Al'Nassari. I'm a Warrant Officer with CID. I'm not a Native American, I am American, I'm Jordinian and Muslim, and have four brothers. My father lives in Manhattan. I'm twenty-nine years old. At the moment…I have a car, a off base house and am probably going to spend the rest of my life in the Army. Also, I want to get married."

For a few minutes she gaped at him. He then pointed to the table, "My real military ID is over there. There is a picture of me and my brother, they're all Marines. I can call my father if you don't believe me and you can talk to him. But once I am done doing my investigation here, I leave and I want you and your girls to come with me. I want to get married. Now."

Finally she blinked and looked over at the coffee table. She ran a hand through her short hair and chewed on her bottom lip.

Garren was gone, that much was obvious. He was replaced with a very male, very confident and very needy person named James.


	34. Chapter 34

**34.**

Robin walked into her mother and Jeff's bedroom. It was a mess. There were cards and papers all over the place. Their voices came from within the large walk-in closet. Curiously she walked in further and peeked in the closet, "Mom?"

Diana glanced up from her seat on the floor. Clearly upset, going through the things she had saved from when Hoot was sent home. Robin looked at it and swallowed, her voice wavered, "What's going on?"

Jeff, who stood behind her digging through the shoeboxes on the shelves of the closet turned. He looked to Diana who seemed at a loss for words. "Rob, do you remember a man who was here when you father was killed? He called himself Stan. He helped your mom with you guys, brought you food and stuff until I got home?"

She nodded, "Yeah, why?"

"Did he ever tell you his last name," Diana asked softly.

Robin made a face. She pursed her lips and rubbed the back of her neck, looking so much like her father.

Jeff then asked, "Do you remember anything about him? Anything?"

Her eyes narrowed and she snapped her fingers, "He had tattoos."

"What kind of tattoos? Where were they?"

"He had so many of them…I have a picture if you want."

Diana blinked and Jeff dropped the box he had been holding. "You have a picture of Stan?"

"Uh-huh, I had just gotten my new camera. Do you want it? The quality is so-so, but I got him when he was cooking, so the tattoos and the apron, I thought it was an interesting contrast, it's black and white."

Jeff rubbed Diana's shoulder as he ran out after Robin, who led the way down the hall, through the living room, and Jeff stopped, seeing the rest of the kids. Robin ran up the steps and he asked, "Do any of you remember Stan? Back when Hoot and your mother died? He had lots of tattoos?"

Rachael and Daniel looked blankly at Jeff.

Jordan nodded from his seated position on the couch, remote control in hand, "Yeah, that dude wasn't right."

Alexandria nodded from on the floor, a million beads in thousands of piles. Wendy, Whitney, and Ping all helped her sort them into the piles from the big dish of beads. "He was way too remorseful. He kept blaming himself, he had major survivors guilt."

Jordan nodded and changed the channel on the hunt for something other then commercials.

The little monster in Jeff grew. He ground his teeth, "Where'd he go when I got home?"

Both teens shrugged, Jordan spoke, "Beats me."

"He lived off base," Alexandria offered.

"How do you know that?"

She glanced up at her father, "Because when he called, it was a different area code and no, I don't remember the number. Why? What'd he do?"

Jeff stewed while he waited. The man had been in his home. The man had comforted his wife and his children and had almost gotten him killed. The man had gone to the doctor with Diana, fed them, even slept on the couch. The man had major guilt, possibly remorse, and yet, he wanted nothing more then to rip the mans head off.

"Dad?"

"You'll find out later," he told her.

She rolled her eyes and went back to the bead as Rachael squealed with delight. Jordan had found _The Simpson's_.

Robin's feet pounded down the stairs and for once Jeff didn't tell her to slow down. She handed him and 4x6 black and white picture of Stan making dinner. Tattoos covered his arms. Jeff knew exactly who Stan was. He then held out the picture for Jordan and Alexandria to see, "This is Stan?"

Jordan nodded, "Yeah."

"Nice picture Robin. Yes Dad that's him."

Jeff turned and jogged down the hall. Robin shouted after him, "Do I get it back?"

**Meanwhile…**

Matt was super pissed off. He walked into his house and all but slammed the door. He would have slammed the door but he was afraid of waking the wife and girls.

Instead, he dropped his work bag on the floor and kicked off his shoes. He couldn't even think straight he was so livid. The only thought he could get out was why. Why? He rubbed the back of his neck roughly and walked through the home that Lily had created for him.

His daughter's beds were empty. So was his bed.

Muttering a soft profanity under his breath he grabbed the portable phone and dialed his wife's cell phone number. He then walked to the fridge and grabbed a beer. Twisting the metal cap off easily he downed half the bottle in a matter of seconds and listened to her phone ring.

It rang and rang and rang. Finally she picked up, "Diana?"

"No. It's me, where are you? I'm here and the house is empty."

Matt could have sworn she was in the car from the background noises. He swore he heard her turn down the radio. "Yeah, we're on our way home. We should be home in about an hour. Is everything ok with work?"

He finished the rest of his beer and tossed the bottle, "Fine. I'll see you soon?"

"Definitely, love you babe."

A hint of a smile tugged on Matt's face, "Love you too."

**Meanwhile…**

Lily hung up the cell phone. She threw it into the passenger seat wondering how she had such luck. Of all the times he was away at work, this was the one time he gets home early. Not on their anniversary. Not on birthdays and especially not when she had important things for him to do.

Oh no, he gets home early when she was going to his parents house.

As she followed their taillights through the neighborhood she pondered how she was going to get home, and what story she would feed him.


	35. Chapter 35

**4:37 A.M.**

Lily pulled her car into the driveway well aware at what time it was and the fact she had been up most the night and driving for the better part of it. She parked in the hopes that he was asleep as she climbed from her seat and unhooked the girls from their seatbelts in the back.

Leaving their purchases in the trunk until Matt went off to work.

Lily managed to get Jamie from her seat and on her hip before she heard the front door to the house open. She peeked over her shoulder and sure enough, there was her husband in the flesh. Not a happy camper. He crossed the driveway wearing nothing but a pair of jeans and a scowl. Which did little to help her in her state of wired-ness from lack of sleep and quite a few Pepsi's and a full bladder.

"Where have you been? I've been waiting all night, why didn't you call."

Lily handed him Jamie.

He carefully took her and rested her expertly on his hip, cradling her head as she continued to sleep with little interruption.

The carefully constructed story was gone. Whether it was from her mood or his tone, she no longer was going to lie. She gently took Jana from her seat and balanced her on her hip, "With your parents." At that she closed the car door with her foot and headed into the house.

Eversman was two steps behind her. "My parents? What, pray tell, were you doing with my parents?"

Lily marched into the house and headed towards the girl's room, "Worshipped Satan."

He followed her through the house in silence.

Only when they had put the girls in their beds and tucked them in, turned the fan on, and closed the bedroom door did they continue their conversation. Lily shoved Matt and hissed, "You never told me about your parents! They are nice people! Hell…they're Saints! Our children need grandparents like that in their life. They were great with _both_ girls, Matt."

He watched his much smaller wife go off on him and again, shove her hands against him. Which didn't make his do more then sway a bit. He both towered over her and was easily three times her size. But he remained quiet and passive while she continued, "They didn't even know _we_ were married! How could you _not_ tell me about them? Jesus Matt! I realize you can't tell me about your work, ok, I accept that. But this, _**this**_! This is something you should have shared with me!"

He remained silent, unsure of what to say. How to make it better. He had nothing.

"What? Are you embarrassed or something? Did I do someth…" He cut her off, "No. You didn't do anything Lily. It's not you."

When he didn't add anything else she set her hands on her hips and pursed her lips. Feeling feisty. She blew out a breath and added, "Also, your grandmother is on her deathbed. You should call your father." At that she turned and walked down the dark hall to their bedroom and shut the door.

**6:02 A.M.**

Smells of breakfast and sounds of children filled Colonel Sanderson's house. He was working on putting his perfectly shined boots on when Rachael stuck her head in the doorway, phone in hand. "Phone. I think it's the office."

Still in her sleeping attire, she marched in the room and handed him the phone, wiping the last bit of sleep from her dark eyes. He gave her a kind smile and took the phone, "Thank you my child."

Mornings not being her thing, she managed a smile and left the room. Rubbing her neck. Going in the general direction of the kitchen for some much needed caffeine. Only when she was gone did he answer the phone, "Colonel Sanderson."

"Jackass," sang a heavily Cuban accent from over the phone.

It took Jeff about three seconds to place the accent. With a laugh and tired smile he grinned, continuing on with his shoes while he chatted with the phone pinned between his ear and shoulder, "Dickhead. What's going on. You realize this is my home number?"

"Only because your wife's number is unlisted. Look, jackass, I hear you and your woman are heading my way with your offspring. Why don't I have one of my guys pick up your boy and take him out for the day? I hear he wants to come to _our _side."

Once the laces were tight enough, he began to tie them, "Sounds good. Hey dickhead, after I get the job you want to have dinner with the wife and me? I hear you bit the bullet and married your better half, is she pregnant or did she threaten to leave you?"

The Mad Cuban, also known as Captain Gomez, a former Navy Brat born on Gitmo laughed. "A gentleman never tells and why don't you kiss my ass green-bean."

One boot correctly laced, Jeff began on the other, "Don't talk dirty to me, you'll get me all excited."

Gomez laughed and said something to someone else, then got back on the phone with Sanderson. "Look, after my guys get the Indonesia Job, we'll go out to celebrate that, and your offspring coming to the light. You what, bring all of them and I'll fix them right up."

"In your dirty dreams, dickhead. I'll see you around the Pentagon."

"Yo, jackass, before you go. Where do you stay? Last time I stayed at the hotel the government put me up in I got a rash."

Jeff rolled his eyes, he pulled his other black combat boot on and sat up straight looking towards the heavens, only seeing his ceiling fan. The smell of turkey bacon drifted through the house and into his room, making his stomach growl. "It's probably from the chlorine. We stay in a little B-and-B in Georgetown. I'll e-mail you the coordinates from the office later today."

The two men hung up with no farewells. There was none needed. He dropped the phone on the bed and finished up with his other boot. With a quick decision to go steal some bacon before he finished getting ready for work, Jeff left the bedroom and headed into the kitchen.

All of his offspring were in the living room, eyes glued to the TV, crammed into the three-person couch. CNN on the TV. Jeff paused and headed their way. He could hear the four oldest talking amongst themselves, "It's gotta be some sorta training thing…there hasn't been anything about a deployment of Rangers from here."

"Yeah, but they don't always announce the Rangers leaving."

"Maybe he's going to France to stop the rioting teenagers?'

"No! Rangers aren't trained for that…I'd lay money on the Middle East."

"Dude…I'll take that bet, I have twenty on Afghanistan."

"No fair!"

Jeff's voice stopped their intense conversation, "Hey. Put some cartoons on, or something else. I don't want Daniel and Kiki watching this."

Jordan made a face as Robin looked for the remote. "Oh come on Dad, they hear about it whenever they leave the house. Let's have informed children."

The look that crossed Jeff's face made Jordan hand his sister the remote. "Fine, whatever you want, you're the colonel."

Only when some stupidly violent Japanese cartoon came on did Jeff continue onward to the kitchen. Hearing Robin add in a whisper, "I have money on Lebanon and Palestine."

Jordan let out a shriek of outrage, "Damn, take all the good one's why don't you!"

Long ago he had stopped wondering if his children were demented. He pushed the door open and walked into the kitchen. Silently wondering what other new things his son would learn when one of Gomez's men took Jordan for a day.

The kitchen was full of breakfast smells: coffee, bacon, and oranges.

However, before he stole a orange, poured coffee, or snuck a piece of bacon from the platter, he inched up behind Diana and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close against him.

She glanced up and managed a weak smile, "Was that Luke on the phone?"

With a nod he kissed her temple.

He held her against him and spoke against her loose hair, "He's going to arrange a meet and greet for Jordan."

She managed another weak smile. Feeling almost as raw as the day she got the news of Hoot's death. The new news had kept her up most the night and left her with a sick feeling in her gut. Along with guilt for keeping Jeff up.

"Do you want me to come home for lunch," he murmured against her hair.

Giving in to his warmth and comfort, she let him hold her upright in his embrace. Closing her eyes she whispered, "Yeah."


	36. Chapter 36

_Authors Note: Ok, so after my summer reading I have discovered many new wonderful things! Along with the fact it is ill-advised to but wind-shield wiper fluid in the radiator and other helpful tidbits of knowledge, I came to find out that Schmid, the Ranger Medic in the movie was actually a Delta Medic, so in my little fiction here, he'll be a Delta Medic. This will be the last chapter in here but I'll be starting up an Eversman fic now that I'm inspired to pick up where this leaves off. So enjoy and review. _: )

**36.**

Delta Medic Kurt Schmid glanced up as fellow Operator Matt Eversman slammed his locker door with enough force to rattle the lockers down the wall. He watched with amusement as the obviously irate man threw his shoes on the floor and dropped down on the bench to put them on.

Calm and placid as usual, Schmid closed his locker and made sure his lock was in place. Somehow his supply of Chunky Soup always ran low when his locker was unlocked. At least when there was a lock it required picking, and that deterred the occasional thief, but not all of them.

Wordlessly he crossed his arms over his chest and leant against the locker.

Eversman didn't so much as look at him while he yanked his boots on.

Kurt was about to ask when the locker door opened and Garren barreled in, gun in hand, obviously looking for someone.

Which got both Schmid's and Eversman's attention.

"Have you seen Wosley?"

With a nod Schmid replied, "He was on his way to his desk a few minutes ago. Why?"

"CID's looking for him. He's been giving information away."

Both men were on their feet and right behind Garren, who ran like the well-muscled athlete he so resembled, the other two paces behind. The three men ran through the halls and paused only to key in their clearance as they got into the intelligence area of the building. Where offices and electronics were in great abundance.

Not a word was spoken between the three men.

Not until the got to the office door, opened it, and saw Wosley seated at him computer with a look of absolute sickness on his face. Garren leveled his weapon at the smaller man, "Put your hands above your head and stand up right now."

A pair of silver handcuffs gleamed in the back of Garren's jeans. Schmid grabbed them. Wosley had stood and had barely gotten his hands above his head when he was shoved onto the desk. He hit the hard surface hard enough that a snow globe fell off and shattered on the floor. His nose began to bleed as Schmid pulled his arms roughly behind his back, not even waiting for his safety. Not bothering to see if there was a weapon of anything in arms distance.

Both Matt and Garren walked around to the computer. Looking at the data, the information and files that were pulled up. A good amount had been destroyed. Garren keyed in a code onto the computer, stopping the destruction, saving a good amount of information, evidence.

"Call the colonel," Garren told Eversman, who looked Garren dead in the eyes and replied, "I'm going to need a minute with Wosley."

"Me next," Schmid spat, tightening the handcuffs.

Garren looked to Matt, the man he had grown so close to. His friend. With a look of pure remorse he said, "I can't allow you to do that Master Sergeant."

The room became silent. Except for the wheezing and gasping from Wosley, who obviously had a broken nose and quite possibly a few broken ribs from the force that Schmid had sent him into the desk with.

"Why?"

Garren took a deep breath. This was always the hard part, the worst part. "Because as a CID Investigator I am placing him under arrest for High Treason and quite possibly several deaths that came about from his crimes. Now, will you watch him while I go out into the hall and contact my superiors to let them know I have him in custody, and that he will need immediate medical attention."

**Later that day…**

Jordan was working on darkening his tan. Naturally he had his mother's Middle Eastern bronze skin, but the sun would darken it. That was the look he wanted at that moment. So he lay out on the lawn, on a towel, wearing a Speedo.

He was also babysitting.

Mere feet away Kiki, Daniel, and Wendy were seated in a circle and intent upon their task of painting the chicken Harry's toenails.

His moment of tranquility was interrupted when an unmarked sedan pulled into the driveway.

He lifted his head and cocked an eyebrow as three men got out. One man he did not know, the man wore a Green Class A Uniform. He was a middle-aged man that had shaved his head. The other man was the chaplain. Then there was his father.

Jordan was utterly confused.

Obviously, his father had not died, but someone had since the chaplain was there.

The men walked up the driveway and Daniel stood, excited at seeing his father. Jordan grabbed him as he ran by and pulled him on his sun block covered thigh, "Hold on little man, Dad's here for work."

Daniel pouted but sat down firmly on his brother's leg and crossed his little arms.

The three men came to a stop and Sanderson asked, "Where's your mother?"

Jordan pointed, "She's in there doing something with the other officer's wives." He looked at the three men, then the moping Daniel, and back to his father, "This is because of Uncle Hoot."

Sanderson nodded in response and led the way up the walk and into the house.


End file.
